Frozen Flame of Falling Stars
by Nova Edgewater
Summary: Twin sisters Claire and Jill, children of the Harvest King have been gifted with rare powers, which has rocketed them to fame. When both girls tire of stardom they go into hiding and buy a farm in Forget-me-not valley. On hiatus
1. The Greatest Show on Earth

**I've had this idea for a story in my head for a while. I felt that it needed to get started. Harvest King and Hamilton are from Animal Parade.**

"Welcome to the most amazing show on earth!" The announcer's voice was loud and boisterous as always. "The amazing talents of Cleo and Josette!" Loud clapping followed that announcement. A thick cloud of smoke provided by a machine billowed across a barely lit stage. From the darkness a girl with platinum blond curls emerged. Her bright red dress was cut low revealing ample cleavage, and barely covered her ass. Her full lips were painted to match her dress, and she wore four inch stilettos. The crowd cheered upon seeing her. She stepped up to the microphone and started singing in a sultry voice. Behind her was another beautiful girl wearing a similar outfit in silver. The electric guitar strapped around her neck emanated sounds of pure rock. The guitarist had a thick mane of bright red hair that tumbled down her back in sexy waves. Green eyes smoldered as she looked toward the crowd.

"Cleo! Cleo! Cleo!" The crowd chanted. The blonde haired singer knew exactly what the crowd was looking for. She held her hands high above her head and sparks of fire came shooting from her fingertips, forming a perfect circle of fire in the air. The crowd roared with excitement.

"Josette! Josette! Josette!" The crowd chanted again. The red head sauntered forward and seamlessly handed her guitar to the blonde and jumped into the air. Silvery wings emerged from her back as she flew through the fiery hoop. The hoop turned to ice and shattered over the crowd, who once again roared their excitement. More tricks and stunts were maneuvered by the duo as they performed their complete set of fifteen songs. The crowd gasping and applauding with each trick. They were certainly a crowd pleaser.

OOOOO

After the show the two girls were sitting in their small trailer. The blond walked over to the mirror and slipped off the wig she was wearing. Her true hair color was a golden blond color that was actually quite stunning, but their manager had wanted the platinum blonde curls. She started un-Cleoing herself as she called it. Claire Demonte hated wearing this getup every day, but it's what people liked. She smiled at her twin sister, Jill, who was pulling off her wig as well. Jill's mahogany colored hair was tightly wound into a low bun so it would be well hidden. Jill disliked the getups even more than Claire.

"Ya ever just want to leave this all behind?" Claire asked, as she wiped away layers of makeup that had been coated on her face.

"All the time," Jill answered. "In fact I've been thinking about that a lot lately. With Mom gone, there's really no reason to keep doing this anymore. I mean we started this to make money so we could find a cure..." Her throat constricted with emotions that were still raw. Their mother had been their rock, their support through all the craziness.

"Yeah," Claire replied. She pulled out the silicone bra inserts. So much costuming for such a short show.

"You know..." Jill said. "Remember that last city we were in Salisburg?"

"Vaguely," Claire answered. "They're all starting to blur together these days."

"There was a farm for sale in one of the newspapers. Remember how much we loved mom's farm?" Jill asked.

"Yeah," Claire replied. She smiled as she thought of growing up on the farm. Such a far cry from where they were now, traveling around in a dingy tour trailer, with a creepy manager who thought of them only as cash cows. He exploited their powers and used them for entertainment. Being children of the Harvest King, the twins had always been different. For years they hid their abilities, but when their mother had grown ill and the money from selling the farm ran out, they had come up with a plan to use their powers to make money.

Hamilton Blake their manager had jumped on the opportunity, and created Cleo and Josette. The girls doubted he even remembered their real names, or what they really looked like for that matter. As a part of the deal, they had to always be "in costume" while in public. For three years now, no one had ever seen the real Claire or Jill.

"So?" Jill asked. "What do you think?"

"Let's do it!" Claire squealed with excitement.

OOOOO

Hamilton Blake was a rather awkward man. He was shaped like a large ball with tufts of gray hair coming out the top and sides of his head. He had a button like nose and thin lips. His entire life he'd been ignored, until he found Cleo and Josette. They had been his salvation. The girls had become an overnight sensation. He had reaped the rewards. Hamilton stared at the sexy brunette laying naked in his bed asleep. A woman like that would have normally never looked twice at him, now they were falling all over him. He sighed. This was the good life.

Hamilton hummed to himself lightly. The woman he'd brought back to his trailer had pleased him greatly the night before. He was headed over to bring his stars some coffee. By ten in the morning usually the girls had their "costumes" on. When Hamilton reached the trailer he saw a note taped to the door. He ripped it off hastily, and read it.

"_Dear Mr. Blake,_

_We thank you for the years you've helped us, but we feel our time in the limelight is done. Best luck in your endeavors!_

_Sincerely,_

_J & C"_

Hamilton stared at the offensive paper in his hand. Shock, turned to anger, turned to hatred! How could those ungrateful girls just leave like that! He knew he should have gotten a contract with them! He cursed under his breath. He knew without the two girls, his glamorous lifestyle was all but over.


	2. Great Escape

*****warning some strong sexual hints in this chapter. I really wanted to show Hamilton's slow breakdown. So here's the start. Hamilton storyline will not be in all chapters.**

* * *

Warm rays of sunlight beamed on Jill's face. It felt so good to be feeling the rays of the sun against her bare skin. She wore a simple pair of faded blue jeans with an orange and white T-shirt. It had been quite a while since she'd worn something so incredibly comfortable during the day. Her hair was pulled back into neat pigtails. Tomboy Jill loved every moment of being out of the short dresses and thickly caked makeup. A blue hat covered her face, though it was doubtful she'd be recognized looking the way she did. Claire was walking happily beside her. The more feminine of the two twins was clad in a knee length jean skirt and a checkered red and white button up shirt tied at the waist. Her golden locks pulled back into a high ponytail. They had left all traces of Cleo and Josette behind. All that was left was Claire and Jill. Jill had strapped a simple acoustic guitar over her left shoulder. Even though she no longer wanted to perform, music was still in her heart and soul. This new adventure was going to be a relaxing change from the craziness that enveloped their lives.

They were headed for Forget-Me-Not in hopes of purchasing the farm for sale. From what Jill had read from the flyer, it appeared that the farm in particular had been up for sale for over two years. The likelihood of it having been sold in the past few days was quite slim. With each passing step, the duo felt more and more excited. Their lives had become show after show, with growing exploitation of their powers. It had become exhausting. Even though they knew they were different, they did not want to be perceived as any type of freak show anymore.

Jill had always been intelligent beyond her years. And every show that she performed took a little bit of her dignity with it. If her mother had not been in such in need of the money that the shows brought in, she would never have agreed to exploit their powers in this way. Older than her twin sister by five minutes, Jill had always taken on the role of the "older" sister. Claire had always looked to Jill for support and advice. In their childhood, they hid their powers. They had been ashamed of them. As young children often do, their classmates had teased and ridiculed both girls for their differences. None of the classmates realized that their powers were results of their powerful father. Even if they're younger classmates had realized this, Jill doubted that it would have made any difference. So when the opportunity had come to make money off of their powers, Jill had equally felt equally repulsed and interested, fueled by desperation. Her mother, her rock in this world, had been diagnosed with an incurable terminal disease. Jill knew that there were extensive clinical tests done in a very large city. Unfortunately for their mother, these test cost a great deal of money. The selling of their farm home did not generate enough money for her to become a part of these clinical trials. That is when they had met Hamilton. That is when their world had changed forever.

Now, the two girls were once again changing the course of their lives. This time however, there was none of the revulsion that Jill felt from the previous change. This time, there was only excitement bubbling forth within Jill. An excitement Jill had not felt since she had been a little girl.

"Jill?" Claire asked. Jill turned her head towards her sister. "Do you think Hamilton is going to be mad?" Jill chuckled. Of course Hamilton would be mad. Hamilton had built his entire life around their powers. Expecting that both Jill and Claire would forever be under his management. Hamilton had also grown quite rich as a result of their show. Jill knew, that Claire had always feared Hamilton a bit. Hamilton had a temper that was quite vicious at times. Jill was not intimidated by this man. She had stood up to him every time. Claire was softer. She did not like the fact that Hamilton would often yell at them. Claire had a tender heart and a golden spirit.

"Hamilton will feel what Hamilton feels, "Jill answered. "You don't have to worry about Hamilton anymore. Claire's face broke out into the most stunning smile. It was a smile that had been long absent, ever since their mother had been diagnosed. Claire threw her arms around Jill and hugged her sister tightly.

"I guess you're right, "Claire said happily. "Hamilton has no power over us anymore." Claire thought about that for a minute. How she detested Hamilton. In fact, detest was almost too light of a word to use to describe the feelings she had for that man. When they had first started their act, Hamilton had tried to seduce Claire. But when she had said no, he had used force instead. If Jill hadn't walked in when she had... Claire shuddered to think about it. Jill had made it very clear to Hamilton if he ever tried that again that he would be sorry. Hamilton had taken the hint, and knew better than to jeopardize his new talent. Claire felt relieved knowing that Hamilton could no longer bother her.

OOOOO

Hamilton sat with a half glass of whiskey in his hand. As each moment passed by, his anger for the two girls grew. He had given them everything that anyone could have ever wanted over the past three years. Fame, money, and a solid career. What had those ungrateful bitches done? They had left with no notice! His boss had been furious. He had given Hamilton a month to find them, or he'd be fired. He was not happy. He looked at the young Asian girl who was lying on his bed soundly. He knew if he didn't find them, his one night stand days were numbered. He grew angry with the girl in his bed. Angry that she was sleeping happily and peacefully as his life was starting to crumble around him. Storming over to his bed, the yanked on her hair to pull her head up. The young girl screamed.

"I want you again," was all he said, crushing his lips against hers. He heard her soft whining, but didn't care. He was beyond rationale, and needed to take advantage of this while he could.


	3. A Blacksmith and a Thief in the Night

**Unsure of whom I am pairing Jill up with. Either Skye or Marlin. Claire and Gray of course. Look for sone love triangle where Jill's involved. And Hamilton will be back too.**

* * *

Claire clutched Jill's hand as they both stared at the farmland before that. They had arranged with the Mayor Tomas from the neighboring Mineral Town to check out the farm before they purchased it. Thomas had insisted that they look at the farm, stating that he was sure they would change their mind once they saw it. Standing here now, Clear understood why he had said that. She had never before seen a place that had been neglected as much as this farm had been. She glanced at Jill, who seemed to be surveying the land with the same shock that Claire felt. In the fields, stumps of old trees were entangled in a mess of vines and weeds. Claire wasn't even sure if there was soil underneath the tangled mess in front of her. Large branches were scattered across the field. Even larger boulders and rocks were also littered all around. The old farmhouse stood sturdy. The paint on the wood was faded, and the singles had been blown up after years of abuse from the weather. It was evident to Claire that no one had tended to this farm in many years. Even though the farm had only been up before sale for two years years, it had been much longer since the farm had felt the touch of a human hand. This simple fact didn't discourage Claire, however, in fact it gave her a feeling of excitement. This farm would be a project. But it would be a project that she and Jill could feel proud of.

"What do you think Jill? "Player inquired of her sister. Jill still looked as if she were in a state of shock. She finally turned to Claire and gave a cheery smile.

"This place is a mess," replied Jill. "However, I think this place is perfect for you and me. "Claire was overjoyed to hear her sister echo the same thoughts that that had just been running through her mind. She felt that this place, with all its neglect, and all its flaws, had reached out and touched her heart in a way that she hadn't felt in a long time. It seems crazy, to be attached to a piece of land upon just seeing it for the first time. Bit that is exactly what Claire felt.

"I agree! "Claire exclaimed excitedly. "This place is perfect. "Jill smiled at her sister. Being twins had always been a special bond for them. She was elated that Claire had not been dismayed by the ruins of the farm. Instead, she had seen the farm for what it truly was. Jill saw a piece of land that had potential. A piece of land that with a human touch given to it again, could be brought back to life. Jill felt a connection to this place. A connection that was not tangible, except for in her soul. Explaining it to anybody else would be impossible. But this place finally felt like home. Both girls stared at the land that they were soon going to call home. Each minute that pass, their excitement grew. Claire envisioned beautiful flowers around the house. While Jill saw fields of luscious crops and an orchard full of fruit trees. Claire saw a land where she could once again pick up her hobby of beekeeping and gathering honey. Jill saw a place for the animals that she had once so dearly loved and cared for on her mother's farm.

When Thomas's footsteps were heard behind them, both girls turned and smiled at the mayor. It was clear to both of them that Thomas had not expected such a happy greeting when he had arrived to the farm.

"So, have you decided to back out?" Thomas asked.

"Not at all, "Jill answered. "In fact, we would be more than happy to purchase this farm. "

"Really? "Thomas asked incredulously. "Are you crazy?"Jill laughed. It was the first time she had laughed like this in a long time. It was a laugh that reached straight to her gut. One that flowed through her entire body. Thomas looked at Claire questioningly. Claire in turn also started laughing. Thomas was not sure he understood. "If this is some kind of joke… "

"I assure you this is no joke, "Jill replied through laughter. "We are laughing because we just might be crazy. I understand, that to someone like you who has been trying to get rid of this land for a few years now, that buying a place like this, seems crazy. But to us, this is a beautiful place." Thomas's face turned from perturbed to delighted. He started chuckling as well.

"Well, you may be right there Miss Jill about trying to sell this place," Thomas replied. "But I see that this land has potential. I just never thought anyone else would be able to see it that way. "Jill looked at Thomas, to see whether or not he was being genuine. His face had a happy smile. From what she could tell, Thomas was not trying to "sell" them the farm. There was no need for him to "sell" it to them. They had already agreed to buy it. Thomas reached out his hand towards Jill. "You have a deal young lady."

"Thank you so much, "Jill said. Thomas then extended his hand to Claire. Claire graciously accepted it. She was accustomed to people dealing with either Jill or Hamilton when it came to business matters. It was nice to be included.

"Well then let's get to all the official stuff," Thomas said.

An hour and a stack of paper work later, the girls finally had a place to call home again. As terrible as the house and land looked on the outside, it was quite beautiful on the inside. Beautiful hardwood floors was carefully laid in each room. One bedroom had a beautiful four post bed made out of a solid cherry colored wood. The posts were carved into beautiful flowers. It was clear this would be Claire's room because of the feminine touches.

The master bedroom was equally as beautiful it's bed was a chocolate brown color carved with exotic animals on the headboard. It was becoming very clear that the person who had owned the farm before them was into woodworking. Despite the beauty of the home, a thin film of dust covered everything, after years of abandonment.

"Let's get this place cleaned up," Jill replied cheerily.

As Jill was on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor in the bathroom she couldn't help but laugh. Most people tried up get away from this kind of life, and would have done anything for the fame she and Claire had gained. But here they were, going back to nature. Back to a simpler kind of life. And it seemed to be just what They both needed.

OOOOO

Claire hummed happily as she made her way to Mineral Town's blacksmith. While they had been cleaning, Jill had found an old toolbox. A few of the tools were broken. Unfortunately they were the ones the girls needed most at this moment. A large hammer for breaking boulders and the axe. She was still in awe at the simplicity of the town. There were no modern structures, nor was there any large highway. There were no cars racing through the streets, and the air was crystal clear. No blanket of thick smog. This area was isolated tucked in a valley. Time it seemed had not progressed very far. It was quaint and yet so invigorating.

Inside the blacksmith's shop was a different story. Dark smoke clung to the walls. It was dark and the heat from the forge was intense. An old man stood behind the counter berating a younger one who was by the forge.

"What is wrong with it?" The younger man grumbled. Neither had seemed to notice Claire walking in.

""You've got no heart!" The older one insisted.

"I can never please you can I old man?" The younger one shouted. He threw down his tools and started walking towards the counter. At that moment, he noticed Claire. Claire couldn't help but stare at the man. He was possibly the most stunning man she had ever seen. Even with the scowl on his face, he was still beautiful. Claire had never used the word beautiful to describe this man. His ice blue eyes seemed to bore right through her. "What do you want?" Claire startled. She was not accustomed to people speaking to her as such.

"Gray! Don't you talk to a customer that way!" The older man shouted. He turned to Claire. "I'm sorry young lady, I'm Saibara. This rude child is Gray, my apprentice."

"I'm not a child!" Gray insisted.

"What do you need dear girl?" He asked her.

"I have some tools that need to be fixed," she replied. She glanced back at the apprentice as surreptitiously as possible. He was an incredibly handsome man. Claire was instantly attracted to him. The apprentice completely ignored Claire after the introduction. She smiled, as strange as it was, it was rather nice to not be fawned over, or have a guy try to hit on her. She was going to like it here.

OOOOO

Late at night Jill found herself unable to sleep. Perhaps it was the excitement of now owning a farm, or because of sleeping in a different place, but she decided to go for a late night walk. Something that she would have never dared in the cities they toured. She started walking towards a large mansion. It looked beautiful. Suddenly a silver haired man emerged from the building. He caught a glimpse of Jill.

"Hello beautiful? Walking alone at night? That can be dangerous." The mystery man replied.

"Um yes," Jill answered. "I'm Jill, I'm new here."

"Well, I'm quite the ladies' man and a prince of the stars," the man replied. "It's always a pleasure to meet such a lovely lady." Jill suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at this smooth talker. She'd encountered so many men just like him. He stood in front of her with a smirk on his face. Jill could see he was accustomed to women in this area finding him charming and handsome. He was a very striking looking man, but Jill was not going to allow that to fluster her.

Another person emerged from the house. A young girl with short brown hair stood in the doorway.

"Hey! Aren't you that famous thief who warns his victims ahead of time?" The young girl asked. The silver haired man suddenly chuckled.

"Sorry, but I'm a bit pressed for time, I'm about to jet out!" The man stated. He turned to walk away.

"Wait!" The girl shouted.

"Ah you want to know name don't you lovely lady? You can just call me Phantom Skye!" Turning to Jill. "I have a feeling that you and I shall meet again. Our paths are destined to cross, it's in the stars."

"Wait!" The other girl cried out. She looked angry. "Return what you took!"

"Hold up beautiful lady! Please don't allow such anger steal away your beauty." The girl paused.

"What a smooth talker you are Phantom Skye!" The girl exclaimed bringing her hands up to her face. It gave the silver haired man enough time to make his escape. The girl broke out of her trance. "Hey! Wait up!" She started chasing him. Jill shook her head unsure of what to think about the scene that had just transpired in front of her. She was certain of one thing, this place was definitely more interesting than she'd originally thought.


	4. Introductions and Friendships

Hamilton hated small towns. His son had become a mayor of a small town, which happened to be the town the girl's mother had been born in. His son had offered to allow Hamilton to come live with him, but Hamilton had higher aspirations. The kind of life he wanted was the one he'd been living for the last few years. He lavished himself in a life on the road. He was hoping maybe someone would know more about the girls in Waffle Town. He had never bothered to learn anything about them, now he was regretting this decision. The only reason he'd remembered their mother's hometown was because he recognized the name of the town where his son was mayor.

Hamilton had not left this area on very good terms with anyone. He'd stayed for a year, and managed to alienate many people, including his daughter-in-law. That had been fifteen years ago. He hadn't been back since. He has the feeling that his reception in Waffle Town was going to be less than pleasant.

He didn't care. Hamilton would do anything at this point to find those girls. He craved the fame and success. Those girls had been his ticket. Stepping of the old boat in Waffle Island was like going back in time. People here lived much simpler lives. Where it held appeal for many, Hamilton was not one of those people. He loved the hustle and bustle of city life. Hamilton was greeted by his less than friendly daughter in law.

"What are you doing here old man?" Luna asked. Luna owned the the tailor shop with her older sister. They had inherited if from their grandmother. While Luna was not the most friendly person, she had a great business sense about her. Luna was also gorgeous. She had beautiful pink curly hair and gorgeous sapphire blue eyes. She had smooth milky-white skin, and high cheekbones. While She was short, she certainly didn't lack in the chest area. Hamilton  
certainly understood why Gill, his son had been attracted to her, just unsure why he had married her.

"I can't come visit my favorite son and his wife?" Hamilton asked. Luna's eyes narrowed. She did very little to hide her dislike of her father-in-law.

"Does this have anything to do with the fact that your two stars have disappeared on you?" Luna asked. "I always thought it was disgusting how you were exploiting them." Luna'a short stature did not stop her from ever saying what's on her mind.

"Why are you here? Where's Gill?" Hamilton asked avoiding her question.

"Gill is busy," Luna snapped. "You know he has a job of running this place." Hamilton could hear the disdain in Luna'a voice. He tried to ebb his anger. Who was she to look down on him? She was some small town nobody. He remembered this as he was led by Luna to the Inn. She was a nobody, and he'd become somebody.

Upon entering the Inn a petite blonde haired girl came up to them. Her hair was pulled neatly back into a ponytail. Hamilton couldn't help but notice her ample cleavage that was peaking out of the lacy white top she wore.

"Anything I can get you?" The girl asked cheerily.

"No, he's not eating here today," Luna interjected. She smiled sweetly at the girl.

"I may have to, with such a pretty girl as yourself to serve me," Hamilton replied. His gaze raked down her body. Luna turned to him with abloom of disgust.

"That is your granddaughter old man," Luna snorted. "You'd know that if you were ever around." Luna called over Colleen who ran the Inn to get his checked in. Hamilton did feel a touch embarrassed to have hit on his own granddaughter. She had certainly inherited her mother's beauty. He sighed, hopefully he wouldn't have up be on this goddess forsaken island for too long.

OOOOO

Three hard days of work and sweat had yielded enough space for two bags of crops. The soil underneath all the debris was surprisingly rich. Claire had gone off to the blacksmith's to get the tools that were being fixed. Jill made her way over to the next farm over to buy some seeds to plant. Jill walked into Vesta Farms excitedly. She was happy with the progress she and Claire had made. Upon entering, Jill stumbled upon a very handsome, very grumpy looking man. He had dark black hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Upon seeing Jill, he scowled.

"What do you need?" He asked. His demeanor was less than pleasant.

"Marlin Jackson!" a stocky woman shouted. "How many times have I told you, you can't speak to customers like that!" The woman slowly walked out of the doorway to the back room towards Jill. "My name's Vesta, I run this place. That unpleasant fella is my brother Marlin." She held her hand out to Jill. The woman's handshake was surprisingly weak compared to her size.

"My name is Jill, my sister and I moved into the old farm," Jill replied.

"Ah yes, I've heard about you. Then again there isn't anyone in these parts who haven't heard of you," Vesta replied. Marlin said nothing. He turned around and started working on something else. Jill shook her head. Life here was so completely different. "What can we do for you?"

"Looking for some seeds to plant," Jill answered. "We've only got space for two bags of crops."

"Turnips are the easiest to grow," Vesta replied. She pulled two bags out from the shelves. "First two are on the house."

"Are you sure?" Jill asked. "I can certainly pay."

"Don't you worry dearie, this is how we do things here, right Marlin?" The man turned and grumbled something unintelligible. At that moment a mousy looking brunette haired woman entered into the shop. She stared at Jill. "Ah Celia, this is one of those new farmers."

"Hello," Celia mumbled, looking down at the ground. She shuffled her feet.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Jill said cheerily. Jill held her hand out to the small girl. Celia looked up surprised. It was evident to Jill that very few people paid attention to Celia. Celia accepted Jill's outstretched hand.

"Thank you," Celia responded. She smiled. Her smile had an innocent quality about it. Celia was certainly no one that anyone would have called beautiful. She was missing a few teeth, and had some unfortunate looking moles covering her face. Certainly that was what had caused her shy demeanor. Jill knew what it was like to feel ignored. Because of their differences as a child, Jill and Claire had been ignored.

"Do you work here too?" Jill asked. Celia again looked surprised. She glanced over Jill's shoulder, then turned back to Jill.

"Yes!" She replied. "I love farming!"

"Me too," Jill said. Celia smiled again.

"Well I hope you enjoy it here!" Celia exclaimed.

"I'm sure I will," Jill replied. "I should get going. Thank you all."

Jill left the farm with her first two bags of crops. She was happily on her way back to the farm when she heard footsteps behind her. She was surprised to see Marlin coming toward her.

"Hello," Jill replied surprised.

"Thank you," Marlin stated.

"For what?" Jill asked.

"Your kindness to Celia," Marlin said. "Most people ignore her."

"You're welcome," Jill replied confused. She wondered if perhaps he was dating the small girl. She felt a bit of disappointment at that thought. It was quite odd to think about a man such as himself dating a girl like that. "Everyone deserves kindness."

"Celia is like a sister to me," Marlin replied. "Most people are put off by her looks. She's a really sweet and kind person though." Jill was shocked at how much his demeanor had changed. She also couldn't help but be happy hearing that he saw Celia as a sister.

"I can tell," Jill said. Marlin suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"I gotta go back," Marlin stated. He turned away and abruptly left Jill standing in the road by herself. Jill couldn't help but chuckle. The interactions with that man had been nothing less than comical.

OOOOO

Claire was having an interesting encounter of her own. Upon entering the blacksmith's shop, she instantly noticed the old man's absence. Only the ornery young man stood in the shop. Once again he scowled at Claire. Today, Claire's mood was less than tolerant. It had been a rough three days, and she was tired. She had done nothing to deserve the treatment he was giving her.

"What do you want?" He scowled.

"I'm here for my tools," Claire stated.

"Grandpa's gone you'll have to come back," Gray replied. He turned back toward the forge.

"Just who do you think you are?" Claire asked. She crossed her arms across her chest. Gray whirled around. He looked shocked by her response. "I've don't nothing to you, yet you treat me like this? Look I don't care who you are! You have no right up treat people like this!" Claire stormed out of the blacksmith's shop. She was surprise at her outburst. She very rarely yelled at people, but for some reason that blacksmith's apprentice had gotten under her skin. Claire shook her head and walked back to the farm.

Claire and Jill were sitting around the table laughing over the tales of each of their day's encounters. Jill was surprised at Claire's outburst. Her twin had never been the aggressive one. Jill had always been the one who was more outspoken. Jill wondered who this man was that brought out the feistier side of her beautiful sister. At that moment there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Jill stated. She wandered over to the door. Standing in the doorway was a man she had never seen before. He looked rather chagrined. "Hello."

"Hi, is Claire here?" He asked. Jill turned around to her sister.

"This one's for you," Jill called. Claire came over to the door. She was shocked to see the blacksmith's apprentice at her door.


	5. An Apology and A Midnight Encounter

**Establishing some of the relationships here. Still not sure if I am going to pair Jill with Skye or Marlin. But I am going to have fun while I try to figure it out. **

* * *

Claire wasn't sure who she had thought would be at the door, but she certainly had not expected to see the handsome apprentice to the blacksmith standing in front of her. Behind her, Jill attempted to make herself busy, but Claire knew her sister would be curious to know what the man at the door had to say. He made eye contact with Claire for a split second then quickly looked away again.

"Hello," Claire said softly, as if talking louder would have spooked him.

"I've brought your fixed tools," Gray mumbled.

"Thank you," Claire said.

"Look I'm sorry for the way I treated you earlier, it's just that my grandpa, he makes me so angry at times. I shouldn't have taken it out on you," Gray said. His words seemed to tumble out of his mouth. Claire smiled sweetly, and reached for the tools from his hands. Their fingers brushed ever so lightly. The slight touch caused her to jump and drop the tools between them.

"Sorry," they both replied in unison. Both went to reach down for the tools, and instead collided with each other. Sorry was mumbled again by both parties.

"I'll get them," Gray replied. He bent down, then placed them firmly in her hands.

"Thank you," Claire said. His blue eyes locked onto hers. Neither one moved a muscle. For a moment they both stood looking into each other's eyes. A clatter behind Claire broke their momentary trance.

"Shit!" Jill whispered. Claire whirled around to see Jill picking up some dishes off the floor. She turned back to Gray but the moment was now long gone.

"I should go," Gray replied.

"Okay bye," Claire said.

"Bye."

Claire closed the door. She tried to calm the fluttering feeling in her stomach. Placing her hand over top of it, she glanced at Jill. Her twin looked simultaneously amused and embarrassed. A small smirk tugged at the corners of Jill's lips. Claire blushed.

"He's a cutie. Sorry my clumsiness ruined your moment," Jill said. Claire found herself giggling in response. So she hadn't been the only one to notice that there had been a moment between the two.

"Yes he certainly is," Claire mused.

"So I see why you were so willing to go to the blacksmith's shop now," Jill teased. Claire had never before responded to a man in such a way before. While they had been on tour, many men had sought out her affections, but she would never respond to any one's advances. Hamilton, of course, had also been a part of that. He had effectively scared away many of Claire's prospective suitors. Jill knew that he had been hoping one day Claire would decide to be his. The thought of Hamilton coming anywhere close to her sister made Jill shiver in disgust. Hamilton was a disgusting pig of a man, and she was glad now, more than ever, that they had finally decided to get away from him.

"That's not the only reason that I offered to go to the blacksmith's," Claire replied. "But that is a bonus." The twins both giggled in unison. In a rare move, Jill let her icy wings emerge from beneath her skin. It had been a while since she'd stretched them. They had both agreed to conceal their power from others, but she had contained them for much to long. Claire also allowed hers to emerge as well. Hamilton had not been aware of Claire's wings. Hers were identical to Jill's but fiery instead of ice.

"This feels really good," Jill stated.

"I agree," Claire said. "I wish that we could do this more often, I hate having to contain them all the time."

"Yes, I know," Jill said. "But we need to stay concealed." Claire sighed. Having these powers from their father was often more of a curse than a blessing. She had been considered different her entire life. She wondered if she would have to conceal her powers forever to find happiness.

OOOOO

Hamilton sat awkwardly at a family dinner with his son's family. Gill looked annoyed at seeing Hamilton at his table. Hamilton was surprised to see how much Gill's family had changed. Especially his granddaughter. The small girl had been a young child when he'd left. Luna had not aged much either. She was still stunning. Her sharp attitude had not changed either.

"What really brings you here?" Gill asked annoyed. He scooped up some Tomato Risotto with his spoon. Luna had learned the recipe when they were dating. It was one of Gill's favorite dishes. Over the years she had perfected it. Gill fondly remembered the first time she had attempted to make this. It had turned out to be a disaster. He loved this woman with all his heart. When his father had attempted to seduce her years ago, it had been the last straw. Hamilton had never been a good father, or a good influence. In fact Gill attributed all of his good qualities to his dear deceased mother. Gill had come to accept Hamilton's shortcomings over the years, but when he had set his sights on Gill's wife, it had been a line that Gill had not been able to forgive. Now he was back. GIll had reluctantly opened his home to his father.

"I can't spend some time with my family?" Hamilton asked. He sounded offended that GIll would assume an ulterior motive behind his visit. Gill narrowed his eyes. He knew better, his father was great at acting like he was the victim in the situation.

"Come on, you haven't been here since Vivian was just a small child, and I am supposed to believe you decided to have a friendly visit. This wouldn't have anything to with those girls disappearing would it?" GIll asked.

"So you've heard of them?" Hamilton asked.

"Of course we've heard of them," Luna retorted. "Their mother was born here. They are almost legends here."

"That's why you're here isn't it?" Gill asked. "You're looking for your cash cows? They're not here. I hate to break it to you dad." The word sounded strange coming from Gil's lips. Gill had stopped calling Hamilton "dad" long ago. Hamilton knew it was more of an insult than a compliment that Gill had called him that.

"I just need information," Hamilton said. "They left without a trace."

"Perhaps you should take a hint," Luna sneered. "They probably don't want to be found." Hamilton glared at his daughter in law.

"All we know is that their mother left for some far away place when she was only a teenager," Gill replied. "That's all anyone knows."

"What was their mother's name?" Hamilton asked.

"Molly Jackson," Gill answered.

"GIll! Stop helping him!" Luna chastised. "Look old man, why don't you leave those poor girls alone. Clearly they don't want to be around you anymore. Why can't you just let it go?" Hamilton glowered at Luna. Luna could not possibly understand. She was happy with this lifestyle. She did not understand what it was like to not be content with small-town life. Hamilton wanted so much more out of life. Those girls were his only way out of the drab existence he'd experienced up till now.

OOOOO

Jill was starting to enjoy her nightly walks. She loved how beautiful everything looked cloaked in the darkness of night. The stars were shining brightly unlike the cities. She missed this about country life. She heard some soft country music playing from a small building that was labeled "Blue Bar." Curiosity overtook her. She couldn't help but wonder what this small town bar would be like. She'd only been in the large city bars. Upon entering she was greeted by the smell of lemon and pine. Everything was clean, and rustic. Old worn wood lined the floor and the bar's counter. The bar was surprisingly full of people. It wasn't something she'd expected in such a small town. She was also surprised to see Marlin, the farmer she had met earlier in the day siting at the bar with Celia. Celia smiled and waved upon seeing Jill. Jill smiled back. She could not help but like the small farm girl.

"Did you get those seeds planted okay?" Celia asked, as Jill sat down on the stool next to her.

"Yes I did," Jill replied. "Thanks so much for asking." The barmaid sauntered over to Jill. Her golden blonde curls cascaded down her back. She wore a bright red dress that revealed ample cleavage. The dress reminded Jill of the getup that Claire would wear during shows. Jill smirked as she wondered if the barmaid had some extra "stuffing" like Claire to perk up the dress. She attempted to cover her chest with a small blue cardigan.

"Well hello there," she cooed. Her voice was sultry just as Claire's had been. "So you are one of the new girls?"

"Yes, I am Jill," she greeted.

"Charmed, my name is Muffy. What can I get you?" she asked. Jill noticed over the blond barmaid's shoulder to see a picture of herself and Claire in costume. It amused her to see herself in the poster. She looked so different in the poster. She only hoped no one would recognize her or her sister.

"What do you suggest?" Jill asked.

"Well this place has amazing wine. We get it from our own local winery in Mineral Town," Muffy purred. She bent over the counter seductively. Her gaze flickered towards Marlin. Jill realized at that moment, the attention was not on her, it was on the handsome farmer. Marlin was not paying any attention to the buxom blond, he was busy in conversation with Celia. Muffy's nose crinkled in annoyance, then turned back to Jill.

"I'll try some of that wine," Jill replied with a winning smile.

"Great choice!" Muffy replied enthusiastically.

"Can I have one too?" Celia piped up.

"Uh yeah," Muffy mumbled, avoiding looking directly at her. Jill wondered how many people in town treated Celia this way.

"Is it good?" Jill asked turning to look at Celia. Celia looked up. Jill could see the hurt in the small girl's big brown eyes. They lit up at Jill's question.

"It's amazing!" Celia replied with enthusiasm. Marlin met Jill's eyes and smiled. Jill felt a small fluttering in her stomach. She turned away to calm her nerves. She did not want to appear as some silly school girl with a crush.

Jill had stayed far later at the bar than she had expected. She started wandering home around midnight. Standing in the moonlight in the middle of the field was the silvery haired thief!

"What are you doing here?" Jill demanded.

"Ah lovely lady, we meet again," Skye soothed. Jill wasn't buying any of his act. She didn't trust him.

"Stop trying to schmooze me, what are you doing here?" Jill demanded. Skye seemed unfazed by her response. Instead he moved closer to Jill. He placed his finger under her chin, lifting her face towards his.

"Lovely lady, I was hoping to meet you again," Skye replied. Jill fought against the onslaught of feelings. Regardless of how much she distrusted him, he was rather handsome. Jill pulled away from him.

"For some reason I don't trust you," Jill replied. "If you're looking to steal from us, I wouldn't recommend it."

"Ah sweet lady, I only wish to steal your heart," Skye quickly planted a kiss on her cheek. It flustered her enough to allow his escape. Jill sighed, instead of chasing after the elusive thief like she wanted to, she retired to the house instead. She needed to remember to keep her wits about her the next time she encountered this thief.


	6. Abduction

**First part is a bit of fluff. The second part may be a bit confusing but it'll play into the story.**

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Books were a means of escape for Mary Barnes. They would take her away from Mineral Town to far away exotic places. As long as she could remember, reading had been a source of comfort. Mary had not quite turned out to be what her mother had hoped. Anna Barnes had so many lofty dreams for her baby girl. When Anna had been younger she'd been known as quite a beauty, and fashionista. Mary had been more interested in her stories than anything else. Mary was not the stunning beauty her mother had been. She wore thick framed black glasses, and had her black hair always in a rather loose braid. Mary wasn't concerned about how she looked. She had opted to take over the library. A librarian certainly did not need to win any beauty contests. She at the desk of the library, thumbing through an old book her father had brought her. While Mary's mother found her only daughter rather disappointing, Basil, her father, was incredibly proud of the young woman Mary had become. He praised her intelligence. They would often have long talks about different literary subjects. Unfortunately for Mary, her father was often out researching, so she was left with her mother instead. She sighed heavily. She entered the book's information into the new computer her father had recently bought. The jingle bells she'd adorned on the door sounded the alarm for a visitor. She was surprised to see a blond haired girl walk in. Usually it was only the blacksmith's apprentice who came to the library, Mary was certain he came out of pity. If she'd been a different girl, she may have developed a crush, but Mary found those types of things frivolous. She assumed this blonde girl was one of the new farmers in the valley. Mary had heard about the two newcomers, then again very few people hadn't.

"Good afternoon," Mary greeted with a smile on her face. "My name is Mary, I'm the librarian here." The girl's blue gaze turned to her.

"I am Claire. I can't tell you how glad I am that you have a library here!" Claire exclaimed. Her eyes twinkled with elation.

"It's not much..." Mary said. She'd heard from Karen, her friend at the store, that the two new girls used to live in the city. Certainly her snail library couldn't compare to what was in the city. Mary had developed the collection greatly over the past four years since taking over, but it was certainly nothing that could compare to a large city's library.

"It's wonderful!" Claire exclaimed. She clasped her hands under her chin. This reminded her of the small library in her hometown. How she would love to go and hear stories read by the old librarian there. When she grew older she would spend hours at the library getting lost in books.

"Anything in particular you looking for?" Mary asked.

"This," Claire replied with a sweeping motion of her hand. "I was looking for this." Mary couldn't quite tell if the girl was being serious or just mocking her, but the sentiment sounded genuine. "There's nothing like the being around books. I love the feel of the pages between your fingers, the sound the page makes when you turn it, and the smell of print paper."

"I agree," Mary replied. It was as if the girl had read her mind, and spoke her own thoughts aloud. No one had ever understood what she felt. She'd been dubbed "The Bookworm," by so many people. The term had been meant as an insult, not a compliment. While Mary had a few friends in Mineral Town, not one of them understood her love of books.

"So what have you got here?" Claire asked.

"A whole hodgepodge of everything," Mary answered. "Feel free to wander around anywhere. And if you have any questions please let me know." Claire smiled, and wandered over to the section labelled "Basil's," Where there appeared to be many hand-bound books. "Oh those are all written by my father. He's a botanist. He's studied all the plants in this area and surrounding areas. If you're looking for more exciting ones, fiction is upstairs."

"Is it all right if I look at these?" Claire asked pointing to Basil's books. Mary was shocked at the question. Of the few people who were patrons of the library, no one had ever asked to look at her father's books."

"Absolutely!" Mary replied cheerily.

Claire settled herself into a chair with a few hand bound books. She found it fascinating that Mary's father comprised all the information. He had carefully handwritten most of the content. It also included sketches, and pressed samples of different plants. When the bell jingled again, she was absorbed in reading about edible plants. She had never realized how many plants were in fact edible. She looked up in to see Gray walking in. She didn't move a muscle. It was evident he didn't see her sitting in the corner. She surreptitiously watched him interact with the librarian.

"I got a new book today," Mary said happily. She held up a worn looking book to show Gray.

"That is wonderful news," Gray stated. He was trying to sound as excited as she was. Mary was one of the sweetest people Gray knew. He felt bad no one ever came to the library, so he would come in the afternoons, after his shift. Quiet Mary was always good at picking out books for him to read.

He noticed a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. Gray's attention turned to the small blond farmer. He groaned inwardly, he had only interacted twice with her. The first time he'd made an ass out of himself, and the second had been almost painfully awkward. She looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. He quickly looked away, realizing instantly that social convention dictates he should have smiled back. Well it was too late now, if he smiled back now he'd look like an idiot. He wasn't sure what it was about her that made him so awkward.

"I picked out a new book for you to read," Mary said. She set the book in front of him, then continued with the book she was cataloging. Gray smirked, he wondered if Mary even recognized that men existed. From all the years he'd known her, she had never expressed any interest in dating. Unlike the other girls on town, Mary would rather work on the novels she wrote, or read a book than worry about boys. It was one of the reasons why the girls usually liked Mary, she was never a threat.

Gray turned to the chairs. As much as he wanted to sit and read, he dreaded the idea of possibly making himself look stupider in front of the new farmer. He settled himself into one of the chairs next to Claire.

"Good afternoon, "Claire said with a smile.

"Uh, hey, " Gray replied. He was not accustomed to having anyone talk to him while he was in the library other than Mary. Mary was one of the least intimidating people that he knew. So talking to Mary, came easily to him. But Claire, she was another story. Something about Claire struck him as elegant. For that reason, Gray felt like an awkward country boy around her. Perhaps it was the fact that she had come from the city, or perhaps it was that fact that she seem to have a natural beauty about her. Gray had noticed Claire's beauty the minute she had walked in the blacksmith shop. And even though at the time he'd been furious with his grandfather, he had still seen the beautiful girl in front of him. Gray knew from experience, however, that beautiful girls cannot be trusted. The two girls he'd ever dated in his life, had made him cynical towards affairs of the heart. First there had been Aja, her parents owned the local winery. Aja could not stand being around her parents or living in a place like Mineral town. So one day without even so much as a goodbye to him or anyone else, she left. That have been four years ago and Gray and never forgiven her for it. Then they had been Popuri the little pink haired chicken farmer had consoled him when Aja had left. He had started to really feel a connection to her, when she announced that she was not in love with Gray. She told him that she was in love with another man. The man happens to be Gray's best friend Kai. After those two experiences, Gray shied away from any beautiful woman. Mary was actually beautiful in her own right, but Mary was not awkard as so many girls were. Thankfully Claire turned back to her book instead of pursuing further conversation with him.

OOOOO

Hamilton Blake sat in Waffle Town's one restaurant/ inn / bar. There was a beautiful dancer dancing on stage. She had been dancing at the Inn for years. A young barmaid with bright orange hair came up to him.

"Hi my name's Dakota," the girl said cheerily. "What can I get for you?" Hamilton eyes roamed over the young girl's form. It had now been a few weeks since he'd had the company of a woman. This girl was young enough to be his granddaughter, but he didn't care. She was stunning.

"Just a beer," Hamilton replied. He needed to have his wits about him, if he were going to get anywhere. The girl promptly returned with the house brew. Catching her hand before she could leave his table he smiled at her. "Little girl, do you know who I am?"

"I heard you are Vivian's grandpa," Dakota replied. She tried to pull herself away from him, but he held his grasp tight.

"I am much more than that, I am quite famous you know," Hamilton informed. He let go of the girl's hand, she let out a forced smile then left. Hamilton glared at the girl. Back when he was on top, he would have easily been able to get any girl he wanted. He needed to get out of this town and start looking for the girls. But no one here was giving him any information! The rejection from this girl had infuriated him. He had been used to women being impressed by his status and his money. Here on Waffle Island no one seemed to care.

Dakota Watson was a bit creeped out by the attention that was being paid her from Vivian's grandpa all evening. The man was old enough to be her grandfather, but was still hitting on her. It made her shiver. She ducked into the kitchen before she left to speak with her father who was the cook at the bar.

"Daddy," Dakota stated. "That Hamilton guy is giving me the creeps." Her father laughed.

"Ah he's just an old man, pay him no mind," her father Chase replied. Dakota sighed and gathered her things.

"Ok I will see you at home!" Dakota replied.

"I'll be leaving here in fifteen minutes."

"Make sure you're not too late, you know how mama gets!" Dakota chastised lightly.

"It's alright, I will just bring her something sweet home, and she won't care," Chase mused. Dakota giggled. This was true. Her mother was a glutton for sweets. Dakota swung her small jacket over her shoulder and waved goodbye to her father. She was grateful to see that Hamilton was gone from the dining room. She did not want to have to deal with his advances any more.

While walking through the Maple Lake District Dakota felt a shiver go through her body. She couldn't explain the feeling, but she felt as if she were being followed. She turned around, but saw nothing. It was dark, but that had never bothered her before. Dakota was used to walking home in the dark after work. When she turned back around she stumbled right into Hamilton, who grabbed her by the arms.

"Little girls such as yourself shouldn't be out here in the dark, it's dangerous," Hamilton said ominously. Dakota went to scream, but Hamilton was too quick. Give him his credit he was a fast man. She felt a cloth over her mouth and smelt a strange odor on the cloth. She felt herself slowly slipping into unconsciousness. She struggled to stay awake, but succumed to the darkness.

Dakota woke up to find herself handcuffed to a strange bed. She could hear loud sounds of cars honking and people talking outside the window that was close to her. The shades were drawn and she could not reach the window to open them up. Her heart started pounding in fear, the last thing she remembered was walking home from work and running into Hamilton. A sinking feeling hit her in the pit of her stomach. She knew that she wasn't on Waffle Island anymore.


	7. Secrets and Lies

**Yes these stories will intersect at one point. Didn't plan on another crossover, but it's kind if turning out that way.**

* * *

Maya Watson was inconsolable. Her beautiful daughter was missing! The first person to be questioned, of course, was the newcomer to the island, Mayor Blake's father. But he professed to know nothing about where the girl was. Maya knew there was more than meets the eye with his story. However, the detective sent to the island seemed to have other ideas. He seemed to think that Dakota was just another runaway teen.

"I don't think you understand!" Maya shouted."Dakota is not the type of girl to runaway."

"Mrs. Watson, I understand. I work all the small islands around here, and there are many times that young teenage girls decide they no longer want the boring life they lead, and head for the mainland. I can tell you that once she runs out of money, or decides that life on her own is too hard, she will undoubtedly come back."

"Detective Cranston! My Dakota is not like that!" Dirk decided against arguing with the the mother of the missing girl. He knew from experience that most mothers insisted their daughters were not like that. He had seen this story many times, but because Dakota Watson was only 16, he would have to investigate her disappearance.

"Mrs. Watson, I assure you I will do whatever I can to try to find your daughter," Dirk replied.

"If that were the case you'd be going after that Hamilton!" Maya insisted.

"Mrs. Watson, there is nothing to indicate that he had anything to do with the disappearance of your daughter," Dirk replied.

"come on detective! It doesn't take a genius to figure that out! He comes to the island for a few days, hits on my daughter during her shift, then all of the sudden she disappears?" Maya asked indignantly.

"Mrs. Watson, I understand, but I've questioned him thorougly-"

"At least don't let him off the island!" Maya shouted.

"I have nothing to hold him here on," Dirk explained.

"If this were your daughter how would you feel?" Maya asked. "I have a feeling you'd be trying to find a way to keep Hamilton Blake in custody!"

"Maya honey," Chase soothed. "Yellling at the detective is not going to do any good."

"You! I don't even want to talk to you right now! Why did you not make her wait and walk home with you after she had told you her concerns about that man!" Maya screamed. Chase had thought that many times since he'd come home that evening to discover his daughter missing. Maya didn't need to berate himm, he already felt guilty enough about it.

"I'm sorry," Chase murmered, realizing that an apology would mean nothing to his hysterical wife at the moment.

"Mr and Mrs. Watson, I imagine you are both tired, why don't you go home and get some rest. I assure you I will keep you updated on what I find out when I can," Dirk replied. Maya glared at the detective. She didn't believe he was going to what he could to bring her daughter home. In his mind, Dakota was a runaway. But it was true that she was exhuasted. She knew she was not going to get much sleep, but she needed to be home in case Dakota called.

Detective Cranston was happy to see the young girl's mother leaving the small Town Hall in Waffle Town. He needed to think of a strategy. A pink haired woman walked through the doors of Town Hall.

"Are you Detective Cranston?" the woman demanded.

"Yes I am," Dirk replied.

"Why in goddess' name are you letting my father in law leave this island?" she asked.

"You would Mrs. Blake?" Dirk asked.

"That would be me. Everyone knows he had something to do with that girl's disappearance!" Dirk sighed, this was going to be a long night.

Hamilton was in a state of panic, he needed to get off the island, and to his captive. He had called in a favor to get her off the island. Kidnapping Dakota had been impulsive, but now he was in too deep to go back. Thankfully the idiot detective had believed him that he had nothing to do with the disappearance of the young girl. He could see that the detective thought of her as another runaway. But either way he needed to get off the island fast. He had everything packed and ready to go for when Pascal took his ship across to the mainland for the last time this evening. He didn't trust his associate in the city. He needed to get back to the mainland so he could continue his search for the girls. He only had two more weeks to find them until he would be fired from his job.

As he was waiting on the dock he saw the young girl's mother storming towards him. He groaned. The last thing he wanted at this moment was a confrontation with Dakota's mother.

"You tell me where my daughter is you bastard!" Maya yelled at Hamilton. She marched up to him and grabbed the lapels of his jacket. Chase attempted to pull his wife off Hamilton.

"I have no idea where you little girl is," Hamilton said.

"Liar!" Maya yelled.

"Maya honey," Chase said. "Please think about what you are doing."

"I know exactly what I am doing! If you were any type of man you'd be doing the same thing!" Maya shouted. She turned her fury back to Hamilton. "If you hurt my little girl you will be sorry!"

"Mrs. Watson," Hamilton said. "I assure you I am very sorry to hear that your little girl has gone missing. But I have had nothing to with it."

"Maya, let's go home," Chase pleaded. Maya glared at Hamilton, then turned to leave. He let out a sigh. Hamilton had perfected the art of lying a long time ago. He knew that Maya had not bought his act, but her husband certainly seemed to. He checked his watch, only twenty more minutes until he could get off the island, and away from the scrutiny of the people who lived there.

OOOOO

"There's a cooking contest in two days!" Claire exclaimed excitedly. " Can we enter?" Jill looked at her sister amused. As much as she loved Claire, her sister was not able to cook. Jill did most of the cooking for the duo.

"You want to enter a cooking contest?" Jill asked.

"Well of course you'd probably need to cook," Claire said.

"Ah there it is," Jill said. Claire smiled impishly.

"Jill your cooking is the best!" Claire insisted.

"Well, I wouldn't quite say that," Jill answered. "But yes we can enter."

"Yay!" Claire shouted clapping her hands together. Jill loved seeing her sister so happy. Ever since they had decided to leave their old lives behind and come to this small village, she had blossomed into her old self again. That was what was so amazing about Claire, even on tour through the seediest of cities, and being hit on by the sleeziest of men, Claire could maintain her innocence. Jill had long ago lost any sense of innocence. The years of being on tour had made her cynical. She would never fault Claire for maintaining her innocence, and some ways she envied her twin sister.

"So just what do you suggest I make?" Jill asked.

"Fried noodles!" Claire shouted excitedly. Jill felt a small pang in her heart. That had been their mother's favorite dish. She had perfected it over the years. She had taught both Jill and Claire the recipe, but only Jill had been able to catch on to cooking. She had not made the recipe in quite a while.

"Yes, I can make fried noodles for the cooking contest," Jill replied. Claire wrapped her arms around her sister.

"Thanks Jill," Claire murmured.

Jill made her way towards Mineral Town, to get their she had to pass Vesta's Farms. She scanned the yard looking for a glimpse of the handsome farmer. She felt a little ridiculous, almost like a school girl with a crush. She scanned the beautiful fields wishing that their fields could look that beautiful. She knew it would take a long time before their fields looked like that.

"Looking for something?" A voice asked close to her ear. Jill jumped. She turned to see the man she had been looking for standing behind her.

"N-no," Jill stammered. "I was just admiring your beautiful fields. Ours look nothing like that."

"It takes a lot of work," Marlin replied.

"I know," Jill said. "I grew up on a farm."

"I meant no offense," Marlin said softly. His voice had an almost melodic quality. "What brings you here besides admiring our fields?"

"I was on my way to Mineral Town, I have to go to the supermarket to buy some supplies for this cooking contest," Jill informed.

"Would you mind if I tagged along? Vesta sent me out with a list of stuff to get from there too," Marlin said.

"Um... yeah... that would be... yes, you can tag along," Jill said. Marlin chuckled. Jill chastised herself for being so tongue tied. It was rare that a man would make her nervous. Marlin seemed to have that effect on her.

"So I thought you were from the city," Marlin said. "But you said you grew up on a farm?"

"Oh that, yeah our mom got sick a while ago, when she got sick we had to sell the farm. When she died, we decided we'd had enough of city life and bought this farm," Jill explained.

"I'm sorry, how long ago did she pass?" Marlin asked.

"Six months ago," Jill replied. She looked away from Marlin so he wouldn't see her struggling against the tears.

"Sorry, we can talk about something else," Marlin said.

"It's ok," Jill replied. "There are just some days that I miss her so much. I did everything I could to get her treatment."

"Including going on the road and performing in those ridiculous clothes?" Marlin asked. Jill's heart skipped a beat. How did Marlin know about that? Did everyone else know about it too?

"What?" Jill asked.

"It's okay. I am the only one who realizes it. I realized it that day in the bar when I saw the picture that Muffy had hanging up. I looked at the photo and then your face. When you saw the photo you had a look of horror on your face, and then I put two and two together. I have to tell you, I've been to one of your shows, you put on a good show," Marlin mused.

"Please don't let anyone else know," Jill pleaded. "Claire and I are trying to get away from that life."

"Like I said," Marlin said. "Your secret is safe with me." Jill let out a sigh of relief. When she had heard him admit that he knew who she was it had terrified her. She knew that Hamilton by now was trying to figure out where they had gone.

"Thank you," Jill stated. She placed her hand on his arm gently. Marlin smiled easily.

"I have to say you actually look more beautiful this way than you did in that getup," Marlin said. Jill found herself blushing at his compliment.

"I always hated those outfits," Jill admitted. "It was our manager's idea. He was the one who said thjat sex appeal would sell better." Marlin chuckled softly. It surprised him how much depth this girl had.

"So I gotta ask, those powers, are they real or were they stage effects?" Marlin asked. Jill considered his question for a moment. She wasn't sure how to respond to that question. It would be easier for her to say they were stage effects and not have to deal with the fallout of him finding out she was different.

"They are real," Jill admitted. She looked away, not wanting to see the look of horror that was sure to cross Marlin's face.

"Really?" Marlin asked. Instead of sounding disgusted, he sounded genuinely interested in the answer. Jill turned to look at the man walking with her. His face showed no sign of disdain or disgust.

"You don't find that odd?" She asked. "You don't think I am some kind of freak?"

"Well it is a bit odd, but that doesn't make you a 'freak' as you say." He lifted his fingers in quotations when he'd said the word "freak."

"Please don't let anyone else know," Jill pleaded.

"It's alright," Marlin mused. "Like I said before, your secret will be safe with me."

OOOOO

Claire settled down to watch the evening news on the small TV set in the farmhouse. This had become a nightly ritual for her. For a while the news had been about their disappearance, and how people were shocked that Cleo and Josette would suddenly leave without a trace. Luckily for both her and Jill, people here didn't seem to care about the famous duo, except for the blond bar maid Muffy. Muffy had not seemed to put two and two together yet, which was good. Molly suddenly saw an orange haired woman across the screen crying. For some reason the woman seemed to be calling out to her.

"I just want my daughter returned home to me safely! Please help us!" the woman pleaded. "Her name is Dakota. Hamilton Blake if you have her, just return her to us. We just want-"

The transmission was cut off. A news anchor started talking, but Claire heard none of what the anchor was saying. All she heard was Hamilton's name. Hamilton had done something to this small girl? She couldn't help but wonder why he had done this? Was this a direct result of her and Jill disappearing? A photo of the girl in question was flashed on the stage. Claire gasped as she heard the anchor announce the girl was from Waffle Island. That was where her mother had been born. Had Hamilton been looking for them, then ran into this girl instead? Claire scrambled and out of the house, she had to tell Jill.


	8. First Ransom

**kind of a strange chapter, but it's setting up for future chapters.**

* * *

"Wait! Calm down! Tell me once again Claire," Jill said. While Jill and Marlin were walking home from the supermarket, Claire had come running up to them frantically shouting. She looked panicked and kept saying something about Hamilton. Jill knew how much Hamilton frightened Claire, so her twin's panic worried Jill.

"Hamilton's done something terrible!" Claire cried out. "Th-there's a girl she's missing! I think Hamilton has something to do with it! "

"Okay Claire," Jill replied. "Even if that's the case, why are you upset about it? "Claire looked at her sister incredulously. How could Jill not feel the same guilt she felt?

"Jill! don't you understand? He's gone off the deep end! What if we're in danger too!"

"Claire," Jill soothed. "If that is the case, we will prepare. But I don't think he has any idea where we are."

"What about your friend here," Claire said craning her neck toward Marlin. Jill had forgotten all about Marlin standing there in the hustle and bustle and craziness of Claire's news. She looked towards Marlin and attempted a smile.

"Don't worry about me," Marlin stated. "As far as I'm concerned, your secret is safe with me. I don't like nosy people, and I don't like gossip."

"How can I be so sure?" Claire asked skeptically.

"Claire," Jill said. "You can't be sure. But at this point you don't have much of another choice right now." Claire looked between her sister and the strange man standing next to her.

"Do you trust him?" Claire asked. Jill considered that question for a moment. Did she trust Marlin? That was a heavy question. She trusted him to keep his mouth shut. He didn't seem like the kind of person that would spread gossip.

"I trust that he'll keep our secret," Jill said confidently.

"Then that's enough for me," Claire stated.

"Thank you for coming to the supermarket with me," Jill replied turning to Marlin. "As you can see we got a bit of a family emergency going on here." Marlin smiled in understanding.

"Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you," Marlin replied. With that, he turned on his heel and headed towards Vesta Farms.

"Do you think he's looking for us?" Claire asked Jill.

"I can only assume at this point he is," Jill replied.

"Do you think anyone here recognizes us?" Claire asked. Jill shook her head.

"Claire, we are safe here. Hamilton has no real way of finding us. And if and when he does, we will be prepared for him," Jill said.

"You keep saying that, how are we going to be prepared?" Claire asked.

"Our powers, we're going to hone our powers Claire," Jill stated simply. Claire gawked at her sister, wondering if she heard her correctly. Hone their powers?

"We did a lot of that on the road," Claire argued.

"For entertainment, Claire it's time we learned how to protect ourselves using these powers," Jill said. Claire's eyes widened. She felt simultaneously excited and frightened at the same time.

OOOOO

Dakota heard the door opening. She turned her head and to her dismay saw Mr. Hamilton Blake enter the room. His smile was frightening. The young girl backed as far into the headboard of the bed as she could. Hamilton walked over to her.

"Did you think you could reject me so easily?" Hamilton asked he caressed her cheek softly Dakota felt a shiver disgust go down her spine. The gag that was placed over her mouth prevented her from screaming out."I'm going to teach you a little lesson about that!" Dakota's eyes widened. She wasn't quite sure what Hamilton was going to do to her. Fear coursed through her. Hamilton raised his hand and swung it forward. It connected with a loud smack against her cheek. Her face stung for a moment. Tears rolled down her cheeks, she had never been hit so hard in her life.. At the sight of her tears, Hamilton laughed viciously. "You my dear are my leverage. You're going to help me get my life back." He exited the room, leaving Dakota alone in the bedroom again.

Tears continued to stream down the young girl's face as she contemplated her future, or if she even had one. She doubted this man would allow her to live at this point. At least Hamilton hadn't been as touchy as the other man had been. Dakota sighed, resigning herself to the fact that her short life was probably going to come to an end soon.

OOOOO

Maya sat in her living room with a letter folded in her lap. It had been the first communication between her daughter's captor herself. The letter had been nearly typed up. She unfolded it to read the message again, now that her husband was home.

"I have your daughter. She is alive and well. She will not be if you do not cooperate. I will contact you soon. DO NOT CONTACT THE POLICE."

"We have to show this to Detective Cranston!" Chase exclaimed.

"No!" Maya shouted. "The note says not too!"

"They always say that!" Chase insisted.

"Chase you're going to get our daughter killed!" Maya sobbed. She buried her face in her hands.

"Maya, honey," Chase stated.

"No!" Maya shouted she ran into the bedroom. Chase sighed. Dakota's disappearance had put a strain between him and his wife. He at one point thought Maya was annoying. Somewhere along the line he had fallen in love with her. But now it felt like they were strangers again. He picked up the letter and the envelope. Even if Maya would be angry, Detective Cranston would finally believe that Dakota had been taken against her will.

OOOOO

Dirk stared at the letter in his hand. He had been truly surprised that Dakota had been abducted. It really bothered him that there was a ransom note. The Watson's weren't exactly rich people. They had very little to offer a random kidnapper. This was no way this could be random. First thing he needed to do was figure out who had gotten this letter on the island. To his knowledge there was only one way to get goods on and off the island. That was through the ship. Dirk sighed and made his way to the docks.

"Evening," Pascal the captain of the ship greeted Dirk.

"Evening," Dirk replied. "Have a few questions for ya."

"About that girl's disappearance?" Pascal asked.

"Yes sir,"Dirk answered.

"Not much I know bout that," Pascal said.

"I'm more concerned with a letter that Mrs. Watson received today, Dirk stated. "How do you get letters that need up come here?"

"I pick up all letters from the post office in Madison, right on the mainland," Pascal replied.

"Who knows that?" Dirk asked.

"Anyone who lives here, or any family member of people here who live on the mainland," Pascal informed. It all pointed back to Hamilton Blake. He would have a working knowledge of the island with his son being mayor. It was time to go have a serious talk with the mayor and his wife.


	9. Training Begins

"And just what are you insinuating?" Luna Blake asked angrily. She was not very happy with the way detective Cranston's questioning was going. "Neither one of us would help that bastard!"

"Luna honey calm down," Gill soothed. "The man is just doing his job." Luna glared at the detective but said no more. The fact that this man would think they had anything to do with the disappearance of Dakota. Dakota was not much older than Vivian. She could not imagine what she'd do if Vivian went missing.

"I'm not saying that, Mrs. Blake," Dirk replied. "I'm just trying to understand why you suspected your father-in-law in the first place?"

"Because he's a no good wannabe womanizer!" Luna shouted.

"Look ma'am I'm not your enemy," Dirk said, attempting to keep the woman sitting in front of him calm. He needed as much information as he could get out of Mrs. Blake. Hamilton Blake was the most likely culprit, but he had no substantial proof. He was kicking himself for letting that man off the island.

"Look, detective, I understand you have a job to do. But you have to understand, that neither one of us would help my father, if he's behind this," Gill stated. He was getting tired of all of this craziness. He didn't want to think his father was capable of abducting a young girl, but nothing surprised him about his father anymore. His father was an incredibly selfish man, who would do almost anything if it benefited him. Gill also knew that his father was desperate to find his "cash cows." Perhaps he had taken Dakota as leverage.

"Of course he's involved!" Luna chastised. Gill shook his head. Hamilton was still his father. As much as his father angered him, he still loved the old man.

"Did he seem strange during his visit here?" Dirk asked.

"There's no way of telling. We haven't seen him in years!" Luna snapped.

"No he didn't seem any different," Gill replied. "He's never been the father of the year."

"That's an understatement," Luna mumbled.

"Do you know where he lives currently?" Dirk asked losing patience with Mrs. Blake's cattiness.

"No idea," Gill sighed. Dirk shook his head. It was clear there was not going to be much information out if these two. He had to start from square one. He had to find Hamilton Blake.

OOOOO

Hamilton was not a stupid man. He knew by now the police must be looking for him. He'd withdrawn a lot of money, and taken his captive into hiding. He needed to formulate his next plan. Once again he cursed himself for being so impulsive. He should have taken someone with more influence on the island. He wasn't sure what the cook and his silly little wife could accomplish. He looked over at the little girl who was huddled up in a blanket. He'd moved her from his lofty apartment to a dingy cottage his friend had rented.

"You don't have to be so afraid of me," Hamilton sneered at the girl, who jumped at every sound. "I've done nothing to hurt you." He moved closer to Dakota. She was a stunningly beautiful girl. He gently placed his hand on her leg. She flinched under his touch. He laughed.

"Don't touch me!" She spat out.

"A feisty one huh?" Hamilton asked. "Suddenly find your nerve? Be careful, I'll let my friend Blue back at ya. He has a thing for redheads." Dakota said nothing in response. Blue must be the name of the man that had taken her off the island. He'd been a little too liberal in touching her. "That's a good girl. Maybe you and I can get along." Dakota scoffed. She would never be able to get along with this creepy man.

"Why are you doing this?" Dakota asked.

"My dear, I need your parents help. With you in my custody, they'll be more willing to help," Hamilton said. He planted a kiss on her lips. Dakota shivered in revulsion. She fought against the nausea the contact caused. Hamilton chuckled again. It was almost too easy to make her uncomfortable.

"They won't help you!" Dakota spat out.

"Oh but they will darling girl," Hamilton said. "They will." He planted an even deeper kiss on Dakota's lips. He might as well enjoy himself a little bit, while he had her. Dakota struggled against her restraints, as tears started flowing down her cheeks again.

OOOOO

Claire and Jill made their way into the surrounding forests. Jill had found a clearing to practice their powers. In the darkness of night Claire would have to be careful. Her fire powers would attract watchful eyes.

"I set up some target dummies," Jill replied. "If you hone your fire into an arrow, it'll be the most effective. Practice first from just a few yards away." Claire looked at Jill wide-eyed. Claire's heart was much more open than Jill. Claire just couldn't imagine using her power to hurt anyone.

"I'm not sure I can," Claire said nervously.

"Claire, I've seen you create lions and tigers our of fire, I know you can do this," Jill replied.

"Yeah but..." Claire stopped. How could she explain to her sister her hesitation in honing their powers for fighting. Claire had always seen their powers as a blessing of sorts. This didn't seem an appropriate use of them. Jill gathered Claire's hands in her own.

"Eclaire," Jill said, calling her by her childhood nickname to soothe her emotions. "I don't plan on using these unless we absolutely have to. But we need to be prepared." Claire smiled in relief. She should have known that Jill would understand. Jill was always able to understand.

"Okay let's do it!" Claire stated with renewed enthusiasm.

After an hour of training, the girls headed home again. Outside their home Jill saw the ever elusive thief. She told Claire to go on inside without her, and that she wanted to check out some other things. Claire thankfully had not seen him.

"Come out Skye," Jill called out softly once Claire entered the house. Skye emerged from the shadows.

"Hello beautiful," Skye replied. He smiled elegantly at her. Jill folded her arms in front of her chest. She was determined to not be flustered by this man. He always seemed to find a way to escape.

"Stealing more things?" Jill asked.

"Only if it's your heart," Skye cooed. Despite herself, Jill felt herself smiling. She struggled to keep it hidden. Skye moved closer to her. "You shouldn't try to hide your smile. It is such a beautiful smile."

"I'm not falling for your act this time," Jill said.

"No act my dear," Skye stated. "You really are a beauty." Skye bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. Jill jumped back in surprise.

"How many women do you kiss in a night?" Jill asked.

"A gentleman never kisses and tells," Skye said.

"You sir are no gentleman," Jill retorted. Skye suddenly threw his head back and laughed. It was the first time Jill had seen genuine emotion from the man.

"How right you are, my lady," Skye said.

"I'm taking you in," Jill stated.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," Skye said with a frown. Jill reached out for his arm, but he was surprisingly quick. If she used her powers, she would have easily caught him, but she didn't want to expose herself to this thief. "Goodnight fair lady, I always hate parting from you." He quickly ran off. Jill let him go. She had managed to hold her own, she was proud of that accomplishment. But damn it of that man wasn't handsome.

OOOOO

"How's your novel coming along?" Claire asked Mary. She visited the library nearly every day. Mary was becoming a great friend of hers. Mary was so incredibly smart and witty. Few people really appreciated that about Mary.

"Oh it's really great, I think I'm finally getting my creative juices again," Mary informed.

"How many novels have you written?" Claire asked. Mary paused. No one had ever asked her about her novels.

"This is my second," Mary said.

"Really? Have you published anything?" Claire asked.

"No, I'm too nervous to try it," Mary admitted. Claire smiled. She understood being nervous. Mary's door jingled, they both turned expecting Gray. Instead it was someone else. He was wearing a backward blue baseball cap, and light blue overalls. He had a muscular physique that showed through the plain white t-shirt he wore. Mary's mouth dropped. She had never seen a man so handsome in her life before. He strolled over to the counter. Claire hid her smirk as she watched Mary try to regain her composure.

"Are you Mary?" The man asked. Mary nodded too afraid to say anything. "Great you're just the woman I'm looking for!" Mary blushed again.

"What can I assist you with?" Mary faked trying to maintain professionalism.

"My name's Jackson Landry, I've inherited that old farm in Mineral Town. My Grandpa was Gordon Landry. Problem is, I know little about farming. But I learn fast. Someone told me you had farming books."

"That I do," Mary replied. She looked towards Claire, who simply just nodded. Claire could take care of herself.

"Please call me Jack," Claire heard the farmer say. She chuckled. Gray entered the library at that moment. He looked from Claire to Mary and the farmer.

"What's going on there?" Gray asked.

"New farmer, asking for farming books," Claire mused.

"What's that look?" Gray asked.

"I think our little Mary has a crush," Claire whispered. Gray looked shocked.

"Really?" Gray asked with a smile. It appeared even Mary was not immune to the pull of the heart strings. Both Claire and Gray started laughing. When their eyes met, the laughter stopped. They both stood staring at each other, neither one moving a muscle. They stood that way until Mary came running up.

"You have to come with me to Cobblestone Inn tonight!" Mary gasped breathless.

"What?" Claire asked confused.

"Jack asked if I was going to the Inn tonight, I said yes! But I really don't want to go it alone. Please come with me!" Mary whispered. She looked back and forth in between Gray and Claire.

"I'm in," Claire stated. They both turned towards Gray.

"Sure why not," Gray replied.

"Thank you!" Mary said. She hugged Claire and Gray, surprising them both. Claire looked over at Gray who gave her a knowing smirk.


	10. Desperation

Claire held back her laughter when she witnessed Mary's antics while getting ready for going to Cobblestone Inn's bar. It was clear that Mary was nervous. Mary, who was always so calm and collected, was nervous. Claire understood being nervous around men, before she became Cleo, Claire had been terribly nervous around men. Even now, she still found herself being quite nervous around some men. Jill had always been the more outgoing of the two sisters.

"Do I look okay?" Mary asked. Mary had put on a worn pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt. It was the first time Claire had seen Mary in anything besides the skirts she wore to work. Mary had a subtle beauty about her.

"You look wonderful," Claire assured her. There was a strange bond and understanding between both girls, as if their slyness gave them a camaraderie.

Mary smoothed the brush through her hair, typically she would wear her hair in a braid, but tonight, she decided to wear it down. Her hair tumbled down her back in soft waves. Mary had never thought about men. But then again, there had never been a man who had interested her. When Jack had walked into the library, she had felt an odd feeling in her tummy. She could not stop staring at him. He grew only more attractive when he started talking. He spoke like man who was educated.

"You really like this guy huh?" Claire asked Mary.

"Um... I'm not sure. All I know is that I would love to get to know him better," Mary admitted. She frowned.

"What?" Claire asked.

"I just don't know if he would be interested in getting to know me more," Mary sighed.

"If he doesn't, then he's missing out," Claire replied. Mary gave her a shy smile in return.

OOOOO

Karen Shaw was tired of country living. Everything bored her. She hated working at her parent's store. Nothing ever changed. She'd hoped When Kai Saloma had started coming around, that he would be her ticket out of town. They had started a hot and heavy romance, and yet, in the end he had fallen in love with Popuri. Popuri had been the innocent one. She never did anything wrong, it was what had attracted Kai to her. Now there was a new man in town. He had inherited the old farm in Mineral Town. Karen had caught a glimpse of him at the supermarket when he'd come to buy seeds. She had almost started drooling. The man was was gorgeous. Karen was known as the town's "beauty." The problem was, that men were willing to sleep with her, even sone of them married, but no one ever wanted to settle down with her.

When Karen saw him enter the inn, she was overjoyed. He looked as handsome as he had earlier in the day. She was glad she'd opted for the tight white tank top, and cute pink mini skirt combo tonight. The tank showed off her cleavage perfectly. He came up to the bar to order a drink.

"Well hello there," Karen purred. She leaned forward to allow him a better view of her chest. Karen knew how to use her assets.

"Hi," he replied quickly then turned his attention to Ann. Karen frowned. He hadn't even taken one look at her chest.

"You must be the new farmer, my name is Ann" Ann greeted cheerily. Ann was no one's idea of a classical beauty. Most of the time Ann wore men's clothing, and always had her hair in a braid.

"That would be me, name's Jack," Jack said. "What's a recommendation for a drink?"

"We've got local wine from the Aja Winery, or there's out Homebrewers beer," Ann informed. Ann was completely unfazed by the man standing in front of her. She vaguely recognized that he was what most women would find attractive. Her heart had long ago been stolen by Cliff, the shy vagabond who'd settled into Mineral Town. She was still trying to get his attention.

"I'll try your beer," Jack stated.

"Oh my goddess, it's good stuff," Karen interjected, trying one more time to get his attention. Jack turned to her.

"You're the girl from the supermarket aren't you?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I'm Karen," Karen said nodding.

"Jack. Nice to meet you," Jack said.

"Care to join me?" Karen asked.

"Thanks but I am meeting some people here," Jack declined politely.

"Whoever it is, won't be as fun as me, why don't you ditch them and join me," Karen cooed. She leaned closer to him and placed her hand on his arm. Jack looked at the girl who was obviously hitting on him. Girls like Karen drove him crazy. They used their bodies to get what they wanted. Karen reeked of desperation. It was clear in the way she dressed. He would run into girls like this in the city all the time. Most of them were goll diggers, who didn't care about who they hurt in the process of trying to find a rich husband.

"Thank you, but I'll have to decline," Jack stated firmly. He took his beer Ann gave him, and quickly paid her. He wanted to get as far away from the girl as possible.

Karen pouted, men didn't turn her down very often. She looked around at the patrons of the bar, she needed a little confidence booster after that. She saw Duke, he was always willing to have Karen. Karen sauntered over to him. Karen knew that the only reason that Duke wanted her was because he was in love with her mom, Sasha, but she didn't care much. Duke was always a good lover, even if he did call out her mom's name. She gave him the customary look.

"Meet me in the wine cellar at midnight," Duke growled.

Jack watched the exchange from the table he'd sat down at. It looked like he was right about Karen. She didn't seem to care that the man she was hitting on now was married. He rolled his eyes and waited for the rest of his party to show up.

OOOOO

"I've given you enough time!" Mr Harrison shouted. Hamilton stared at his boss, who'd cut off his time limit by a week and half.

"You can't expect me to find then right away!" Hamilton argued.

"Do you even have any leads?" Mr. Harrison sneered.

"I have a few," Hamilton lied.

"I don't believe you, I gave you a chance because you're my wife's cousin, but I can't keep doing this! Do you know how much money you've cost me? Why on earth did you not draw up a contract with them like I asked you to?" Harrison ranted.

"They needed the money, I never thought they'd just leave like that," Hamilton stated.

"That's the problem! You never think! You're fired!" Harrison shouted. He walked away from Hamilton. Hamilton stewed. He had loved being a part of the most popular, successful talent agency. Now he was jobless. He wanted to find those girls now more than ever.


	11. Jealousy

**I love "love triangles." Also I really like Karen and Muffy, so writing them this way was quite difficult. But I hope you enjoy**

Mary had never been so nervous in her life. Typically she will didn't even notice men. But there was something about Jack that had stirred her interest. Mary for the most part, was a loner. Then Gray had started coming to the library. Mary always felt it was out of some sort of pity. Claire had been the one person that it started coming because she wanted to. It wasn't that Mary was disliked by anyone in town, it was more that Mary was more aloof than others. People didn't understand her at times. Upon entering the inn, she saw Jack sitting at a table. He waved over to her, making her heart flutter. Claire and Gray were behind her, they were just the support she needed. Before Claire, Gray had been the only person Mary had ever considered to be a real friend. She and Claire had grown closer,and she felt that Claire was definitely becoming her friend as well.

They sat down at the table, Mary chose the chair that was closest to Jack.

"Nice to see you all here," Jack replied. Mary smiled. Even though she probably had no chance with a man who was as handsome as Jack, she would enjoy this evening. At that moment, Mary saw the one person in Mineral Town that she disliked. Karen, glared at Mary for a moment, before sauntering over to their table.

"Why didn't you invite me to your little party Mary?" Karen asked. Mary bristled. Karen never wanted to be around Mary. Growing up, Karen had often ridiculed Mary, calling her a boring nerd. Mary had accepted who she was, and understood that she was different from Karen. She had not allowed Karen to break her down. And here Karen was, presumably trying to get Jack's attention. That is how Karen was. Since Karen was considered the beauty of the town, She assumed that any new man was hers for the taking. And a man as handsome as Jack would certainly gain her attention.

"Why would Mary ever invite you anywhere?" Gray asked shortly. Mary could have hugged Gray in that moment.

"Really?" Karen asked looking at Jack. "This group of people is not the group of people you want to get yourself involved with here in Mineral town."

"I think I'll be the judge of that," Jack replied. Karen jaw dropped. This was the second time that Jack had rebuffed her advances. sSe flipped her hair over her shoulder and walk away. When she was out of earshot, Mary started giggling.

"Thank you Gray, and Jack," Mary replied.

"No problem," Gray stated. "I wasn't going to let her use you to try to get to Jack."

"She's not my type anyway," Jack informed. "Girls like her are a dime a dozen in the city. They use their bodies and sex to get what they want."

"That about sums Karin up," Gray mused. He looked up to see the waitress, Ann coming over to the table.

"Well now, y'all going to tell me what you did Karen to make her so angry?" Ann asked. There was a wide smile on her face. It was no secret that Karen had tried to seduce Cliff, her fiancé, when she had found out that he had proposed to her. Karen and Ann at one point had been best friends, but after that betrayal, Ann no longer considered Karen a friend at all.

"Just called her out," Gray replied. "She comes over here like she owns this town, and Jack. Yells at Mary for not being invited to this get together, like she would ever hang out with Mary under normal circumstances." Ann chuckled.

"Well then, your next round is on me!" Ann giggled. She waved over to Karen, who glared daggers back at the redhead.

OOOOO

Jill headed for the Blue Bar. Claire and her new friend, Mary, were off to Mineral Town's bar. It was a classier place than the bar in Forget-Me-Not, but Jill enjoyed Blue Bar. There was a rustic feel to it, that you couldn't get anywhere else. Upon walking in, Celia waved her over. Sweet Little Celia, she was such a kindhearted and soft girl.

"Evening," Jill replied. She sat down next to Celia. Marlin nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Well hello," Muffy greeted a bit stiffly. Muffy's dress today was a bright blue, possibly even more revealing than the one before.

"Hi," Jill answered cheerily. She would not play the game. She knew it would be far worse to kill her with kindness. "Glass of wine, please." Muffy nodded and quickly got her drink.

"Marlin darling," Muffy cooed. "You've barely touched your drink!"

"Lot on my mind," Marlin mumbled.

"I do hope it's me," Muffy giggled. Jill rolled her eyes. Muffy certainly wasn't subtle. The way Muffy was leaning over the counter, gave Marlin a view if her chest that left little to the imagination. Marlin was not looking that way. He was more focused ok the drink I his hand that he'd barely touched.

"No, lot of other stuff," Marlin mumbled.

"Is there anything I can do?" Muffy purred. Her voice became silky smooth. Jill rolled her eyes.

"No thanks," Marlin grumbled. He took a large swig of his drink. Celia touched Marlin's arm.

"Is it your-"

"No!" Marlin cut Celia off. "I mean I'm fine." His voice was much softer the second time around. Jill couldn't help but wonder what Celia was going to say, but she let it drop. It was clear that he didn't want whatever was bothering him known. Muffy scowled at the interaction between the two. It was clear that Muffy did not understand why Marlin was so affectionate with Celia.

"Why didn't you come to the cooking festival?" Celia asked Jill.

"I forgot about it," Jill admitted. She and Claire had been so preoccupied with training, that she hadn't thought if much else.

"We missed you!" Celia exclaimed. "Didn't we Marlin?" The man grumbled something Jill could barely make out. Jill smirked. She was getting quite used to his gruffness. It was almost endearing at moments. She sighed and settled into her glass of wine. Life was do different than it was only a few weeks ago. She would not go back to the stage for all the money in the world. This was the type of life Jill was meant to lead.

OOOOO

"You told that detective?" Maya screamed. She was fuming angry at her husband for telling Detective Cranston about the note she had received. "If she gets killed it's your fault!"

"Maya honey," Chase pleaded.

"No! Don't say a word!" Maya screamed. "I...I...I hate you!" Maya slammed the door as she stormed out of their small house. She'd received another note from Hamilton. It had advised her to go into town hall archives and find out what she could about Angela Butler as possible. Maya didn't know who this Angela person was, but she was determined to find out. She didn't tell Chase about this letter. She understood what she needed to do to get her daughter back.

Chase stood in his living room. He had always loved Maya's feisty spirit, but today she had broken him. When Detective Cranston had finally taken the case seriously, Maya had been thrilled until she found out Chase had told him about the note. Chase was starting to wonder himself if that had been the right move. He sighed. He wanted his daughter back.

OOOOO

Hamilton was starting to lose patience. He no longer cared about fame or fortune, he wanted to get Cleo and Josette for other reasons. Revenge one, and Cleo the other. He wanted her to be his. He had given her everything, and they have nothing in return. He was also growing bored with his captive, but could do very little with her until her mother delivered what he needed. He walked into her room to check on her. She was still bound to the bed. She had bruises on her face, from when she'd gotten out of line.

"Come to hit me some more?" Dakota spat out. Hamilton chuckled. He couldn't help but be amused by her fake bravado. The young girl had no idea what his plans were for her, it was probably better that she didn't. He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back.

"No my dear girl," Hamilton replied. You are going to be recording a little video for me."

"Like hell!" Dakota shouted. Hamilton pulled her hair even harder until tears dropped out of Dakota's eyes.

"Yes you are," Hamilton growled. He pulled a knife out of his pocket. "Or else things are going to become more rough for you." Dakota started shivering, as Hamilton moved the blade closer to her cheek. "Now let me tell you what I want you to say.


	12. Rejections and Rendevouz

******Nice scene between Claire and Gray. **

* * *

It was easy for Claire to see that after one night, Mary had become quite infatuated with Jack. It was amazing to see the girl light up as Jack talked to her. To give Jack credit, he was actually quite an intelligent man. There were many topics of conversation that he and Mary would discuss that were above Claire's head. Then, of course, there was the handsome blacksmith beside her. Gray was an enigma of sorts. His smoky blue eyes revealed very little of what he thought.

"How was your work today?" Claire asked. Gray's eyes regarded her carefully.

"Just like everyday. Gramps yelling at me for not meeting his standards," Gray mumbled. He took another sip of his beer.

"Do you like your job?" Claire asked.

"I like it," Gray sighed. "I just never seem to do anything good enough for the old man."

"Maybe it's a good thing that he has such high expectations of you," Claire offered. Gray scoffed. Gray knew one thing, his grandfather thought he was a lazy, unmotivated, slacker. Perhaps the unmotivated part was true, but Gray worked hard. He wanted more than anything to please him, but always failed.

"Not with my gramps," Gray mumbled.

"I don't have any grandparents that are still alive," Claire replied. "My father is a bit absent from my life, and my mother passed away last year."

"My father was not absent, but he was a mean SOB," Gray replied. "I moved here to get away from him."

"I'm sorry," Claire replied.

"Ya know, you were right. About Gramps. He does think I have a lot of potential, I just wish he wouldn't always yell so," Gray admitted.

"Family is always complicated," Claire replied. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. Gray felt a jolt of static electricity at her touch, they both jumped, then smiled. Gray was finding that he rather enjoyed Claire's company. She was easy to talk to, and understanding. There was something else about Claire that he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but there was something unique about her.

OOOOO

Karen left Duke's cellar feeling used, as she always did with Duke. He'd called her Sasha a few times tonight. She was used to Duke calling out her mother's name, but tonight, it irritated her. Perhaps it was due to Jack's blatant rejection of her. Perhaps it was the wine, or perhaps it was the hurt she felt, but instead of going home, she turned down the road to the new farmer's house. Her blouse was partially unbuttoned, and she no longer wore a bra. It was shoved into her back pocket. Very few men could resist her body when they saw it. Karen knocked on the handsome farmer's door. She wasn't worried that Mary would be there, Mary was a good little girl, who wasn't willing to do the things that Karen was.

Jack came to the door looking bleary eyed. It was clear that she had woken him up.

"What do you need?" Jack asked. Karen leaned against his doorway in a way that showed her ample breast of to him even more.

"You," Karen purred. Jack inwardly groaned. He did not need this right now. It was no secret that Karen was promiscuous. And while Karen was definitely hot, she was not the type of woman Jack wanted. A year or two ago, he'd have taken Karen up on her offer. But now, Jack was looking for a woman to settle down with. Someone who was beautiful and smart. Women like Karen, were not women you settled down with.

"You're drunk," Jack stated.

"Not to drunk to please you," Karen insisted. She leaned forward and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips. Jack pulled away from her gently, so she wouldn't fall over.

"Karen you should go home," Jack insisted. Karen pouted. This was a move that drove many men crazy. Karen was used to getting her way by pointing. Jack just crossed his arms. "Go home Karen, till you do something you regret."

"Nothing I'd do to you would be a regret," Karen sighed. She moved forward again, but Jack moved away. She stumbled forward, Jack reached out to catch her, but it was too late. She hit her head against the door frame, and promptly passed out.

OOOOO

Jill caught a glimpse of the silver haired thief as she made her way home from the bar. She shook her head. He liked to think what he was doing was romantic, but in the end it was still a crime. Even so, there was something alluring about him. He caught her eyes and winked in typical fashion. With quick movements, he closed the distance between them.

"We meet again beautiful," Skye replied. Jill tried to force herself to not respond to him. She hated that made her so flustered.

"Yes. We always do. It seems as though you're always up to some trouble," Jill answered. He placed his hand over his heart, and dramatically started clutching it.

"Oh you wound me fair maiden," Skye groaned. Jill rolled her eyes. This man was certainly a good actor.

"I'm sure there are very few things that actually affect you," Jill remarked. Jill knew that Skye thought of himself as handsome. While he was definitely good looking, she certainly didn't think he was as handsome as Marlin. But she couldn't deny the allure that Skye exuded.

"Sure there are," Skye replied. He moved closer to Jill. "Those beautiful amethyst eyes of yours certainly affect me." Jill tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. "You look more beautiful when you smile."

"You should probably get going," Jill advised. She moved her face as he attempted to kiss her. She didn't want him to take such liberties all the time.

"Ah yes, you are right," Skye sighed, looking slightly surprised at her refusal to allow him to kiss her. "Until we meet again beautiful." He waved, and then quickly disappeared into the night.

OOOOO

Chase sat watching a video tape of his beautiful daughter. It had been dropped off at his house the night before. Maya had not been staying at home. After she found out that Chase had told Detective Cranston about the letter, she had gone to stay with her parents at the Inn.

"Mom," Dakota said. Her voice was trembling. "I love you and Dad both. The person who is holding me captive wants you to find out about a woman by the name of Molly Barnes. She was born on the island then moved somewhere else. Please go to Town Hall archives and get as much information as you can find." The tape cut off. Chase trembled. Dakota had looked scared and she'd been hurt. There were bruises on her face. The man who had captured her had better hope that Chase didn't get to him before the police did. He made his way to the Inn to show Maya and the detective the new development.

OOOOO

Dakota struggled against the bonds to no avail. The knots Hamilton had tied were too difficult to try to loosen. She hated having to involve her parents in any of this. Especially her mother. She knew her mother was rather impulsive and would do things without thinking. She only hoped her father would be able to talk some sense into her. Hamilton came into the room.

"Good little performance," Hamilton sneered. "Now let's just hope your parents are willing to meet my demands." Dakota said nothing. She wasn't willing to allow him the satisfaction of a response.

"Hamilton!" Dakota heard another voice behind him shout. She groaned to see the man who had helped abduct her. This man she didn't like, he was the one who had groped her. She shivered in disgust.

"Elliott!" Hamilton shouted. "I told you not to come back here after delivering the tape! In case someone followed you!"

"I had to! The mother, it seems, is no longer living in the house. It's only the father." Hamilton grumbled something and dragged his associate out of the room. Dakota strained to hear what they were saying, but the closed door muffled their words. What had the man meant by his words? Why was her mother not living with her father? It made no sense. Dakota fought against her tears. This had to be her mother's impulsive nature kicking in. Dakota needed to find a way to escape now, more than ever.


	13. Confessions

The darkness of the room was only intensified by her fears. Dakota could not stop thinking about what Hamilton's associate had said about her parents. She knew her mother was irrational and emotional, but she never imagined that her mother would leave her father. Dakota could only hope this was temporary. Her life has been so completely different just a few short weeks ago. Hamilton was an abusive man, who seemed to enjoy taking his anger out on her. The door swung open and Hamilton entered her room. Dakota shrunk back. She hated when he'd come in. She never knew what to expect from him. He sat down next to her.

"I'm not a monster you know," Hamilton stated. Dakota resisted the urge to snort in response. Hamilton was the very definition of a monster. "I can see you don't believe me. But I had a good life. Ever heard if Cleo and Josette? They were my stars. I gave them fame and fortune, then what do they do? They disappear! I need to find them!"

"What does that have to do with me?" Dakota asked.

"Nothing," Hamilton sighed. "You are simply a tool to get information." Dakota eyed Hamilton warily. She had never seen him this way before. He almost sounded apologetic.

"So then what?" Dakota asked. "You kill me?" Hamilton's eyes grew wide. It was clear he hadn't thought of the aftermath yet. Hamilton looked at the young girl. He wasn't sure if he was capable if killing anyone.

"I haven't thought that far," Hamilton admitted. Dakota wasn't sure why her captor was being so forthcoming, but she decided to take advantage of it.

"What did your friend say about my parents?" Dakota asked.

"My friend?" Hamilton asked. He looked at her with an odd look on his face. "I have no friends my dear girl." He sighed, and cupped Dakota's cheek. She shivered in revulsion. This man made her skin crawl. She regained her composure, and sat stiffly, hoping he would answer her question. "Your parents, they're collateral damage."

"What?" Dakota asked. Her voice raised a bit. It seemed to snap Hamilton out of whatever mood he was in.

"That's enough for now," Hamilton stated. He pressed a kiss on her forehead then left the room. Dakota was confused by this man who was her captor. At times he acted almost fatherly, then there were times where he would not be so fatherly. He would at times beat her, then other times tend to her wounds. She was furious at his explanation that her parents were collateral damage! She wished she hadn't been so forceful. Maybe she could have gotten more information out of him. Dakota sighed and settled into the bed, tears streamed down her face as she thought about her parents.

OOOOO

Jill eyed her sister, smirking. Claire was humming a tune that their mother used to hum. It was a beautiful melody that their mother said had summoned their father to this land. Claire usually only hummed it when she was extremely happy. Over the past few years, that rune had been absent from Claire's lips. As she did her farm work there seemed to be an extra spring in her step. Jill wondered if it had anything to do with the handsome blacksmith that had visited their house. She knew he had become a friend to her sister, but Jill wondered if there were more there.

"You're cheerful today," Jill remarked.

"It's just a beautiful day," Claire replied. Her cheeks had a slight flush to them. "Who wouldn't be cheerful." Jill raised an eyebrow at Claire. She knew when her sister was not telling the full truth. "Okay so maybe there's more to it!" Claire giggled and flushed even harder.

"You going to share?" Jill asked.

"I have a crush," Claire admitted.

"On that hunky blacksmith?" Jill asked. Claire nodded. "Well he seems nice enough."

"He is!" Claire exclaimed. "I don't know what he thinks about me though."

"Just take it as it comes," Jill advised. "If he doesn't like you too he's an idiot, and not worth your time." Claire smiled. Jill always knew what to say. She used to be a bit envious of that trait, but as she grew older, she appreciated her differences from her sister.

The sisters continued to toil on their farmland. This type of work was so much more rewarding than prancing around on stage half naked. Claire thought of the handsome blacksmith and his crystal clear blue eyes. He was so shy and reserved. He had admitted to her that most people saw his shyness as being rude, but Claire saw something else. She sighed wondering what he thought of her. Jill was right though, she'd have to just take it as it comes.

OOOOO

Karen awoke to find herself in the clinic. She felt a bit disoriented. Karen remembered very little from the night before. The last thing she remembered was arriving at Jack's house. She shifted a bit, feeling uncomfortable. She hated being rejected. At that moment she heard a slight snoring noise. She looked over to her right to see the farmer in question sitting in a chair sleeping next to her. She felt quite touched that he was still there. Perhaps last night's encounter had lot been completely worthless. The man slowly started to wake up. When he saw Karen sitting up in her bed he glared.

"Good morning," Karen replied cheerily.

"Goo you're awake. You can now clear up what happened last night," Jack grumbled. Karen looked at Jack confused.

"What do you mean?" Karen asked.

"Oh you know, you coming to my house drunk, and passing out after hitting your head on the door jamb, please explain this so I can go home," Jack mumbled. It was at that moment that Karen saw that he had been handcuffed to the chair. She sighed in dismay. So he hadn't stayed for her.

"Quite frankly," Karen stated. "I don't remember what happened last night." At that moment the doctor came into her room.

"Good to see you awake," he replied.

"Morning Trent," Karen greeted. Trent was one of the people she used to sleep with. He hated how informally she addressed him, but said nothing.

"This man didn't do anything to hurt you did he?" Trent asked.

"No sir," Karen informed. "In fact, he's going to be my next boyfriend!"

OOOOO

Dirk watched the tape that Chase had given him over again. He wasn't sure why Dakota's kidnapper wanted information on someone from the island. But his best and only less was that woman. He'd need to research that woman on his own. He'd already sent the name over to his partner back in the city. He poured over the case file he'd put together so far. He knew that missing girls rarely came back home to their families. If they did come back, it was rare there would be a happy ending. It didn't help that the mother was not being cooperative. This would often happen, one parent would be cooperative, while one would take the kidnapper's threat of not contacting the police to heart.

Dirk looked up to catch the woman behind the counter staring at him. She had introduced herself as Ellie. He smiled. Ellie looked to be a few years younger than he was. Back when he was younger, he would have jumped on the opportunity of a woman's company. As he grew older, he found it more complicated. Older women were not looking for a quick fling, most wanted a relationship. Ellie was a beautiful woman. She definitely had aged well. If things were different... He couldn't think that way. He was here to solve a case, nothing more. He turned back to his files.

He was so absorbed in the case, he didn't notice when Ellie approached him with a cup of coffee.

"You look tired," Ellie replied. Dirk looked up appreciatively.

"Thanks," he stated. He smiled at the woman. Ignoring her might be harder than he thought. Ellie made her way back to behind the counter. Dirk could feel her eyes on him. He took a large swig of coffee, burning his tongue. He decided to leave town hall for some fresh air. When he stepped outside, he saw a letter on the ground addressed to him. Dirk slowly bent down and picked up the letter. He had a feeling that this would be no good.

"Stay out of this, or the girl dies."

The note was simple and chilling. Dirk rubbed his face with a large hand. This case was getting more complicated by the moment.


	14. Runaway

Mary emerged from the library humming a soft tune. Mary was not sure what it was, but she had never felt like this in her life before. Her thoughts were consumed by Jack. She had found out that not only was the man handsome, but he was also intelligent. To Mary, that had been more appealing than his looks. Maybe it was a result of him being from the city, but he had an aura about him that was unmistakably irresistable to her. She was on her way to the church to talk to Pastor Carter, when Jack and Karen emerged from the hospital. Karen took one look at Mary, then flung her arms around Jack.

"You're my hero!" Karen shouted. Jack attempted to disentabgle himself from the girl, but her grip was stronger than he thought it would be. He shot a look towards Mary, hoping she would understand that he was not a willing participant in this show that the girl was putting on. Karen finally turned towards Mary and had a smile plastered on her face. "Jack carried me here to the hospital last night!" Mary's eyes widened. What had Karen been doing with Jack last night?

"She came to my house drunk," Jack explained. "Ended up hitting her head on the door jamb."

"Oh Jack," Karen gushed. "You don't have to act so blase about it. Jack really is a dashing hero isn't he?" Karen had a smug look on her face. Mary wasn't sure how to react. This entire situation was very awkward for her.

"It was nothing like that," Jack insisted. Karen didn't appear to be disturbed by Jack's insistence. She was fueled by Mary's lost look.

"I'm glad to see you are okay," Mary replied. She nodded her head in Jack's direction, and quickly moved past the duo. It was stupid she knew to feel a bit heartbroken. It wasn't as if Jack was hers anyway. Karen was a hard woman to resist. She knew that many of the men in town had their go around with Karen. She was notorious for pulling men in. Mary had very little sex appeal. She had always been the book worm, the smart one. That had always been okay with Mary, but for some reason she found herself being frustrated at herself. She had missed the small window of opportunity to impress Jack.

Jack managed to wrangle Karen away from him. She was continuing to drape her body over his.

"Karen!" Jack shouted. "You and I are not a couple!"

"Then why did you carry me to the hospital?" Karen asked. "Come on you know you like me." she caressed his arm. Jack resisted the urge to throw the girl off him. He knew that would not be viewed lightly here in a small town.

"Because you passed out," Jack explained. "I do not like you in that way." Karen pouted.

"Come on Jack," Karen purred. "Every man in town finds me attractive."

"Including the married ones?" Jack asked with disgust. Karen showed no signs of remorse.

"I simply provide them with pleasure they don't get from their wives," Karen cooed. Jack was disgusted by her lack of remorse or concern for the other women.

"Well then, why don't you go and be with those men who want you. I don't date homewreckers," Jack replied. With that said he was done with the conversaion. He pulled Karen away from him and started walking away. Karen stood dumfounded, but determined. She would get Jack to like her one way or another.

OOOOO

Maya walked into town hall, barely acknowledging the detective who was watching her. She knew that the video had gone to Chase first, and he would have undoubtedly give the information to Detective Cranston. She was furious with her husband. chase believed that the police would be able to get their daughter back alive. Maya knew better. She knew that the police typically screwed up these types of investigations. She made her way up to the town's archives upstairs.

There little comfort in her research. She wanted her baby girl home safe, but she did not even know where to start. How was she supposed to find information on a girl who had lived on this island for only a short period of time? This whole situation made little sense to Maya. Was Dakota a random target? Or was Maya being played. She stretched her neck out rubbing the back of it with a hand. She had gotten very little sleep as of late. Life had been so normal, and wonderful just a few weeks ago. Now it felt like Maya was living in a terrible nightmare. The only problem with it was she could not wake up from this. As much as she wanted to, there was no running away from this. Her daughter was everything to her. Over the years her romance with Chase had become less and less appealing. She had lost the feelings that she had for him. If she were being honest, she had only stayed with him for her daughter. And now her daughter was in danger!

"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Watson," Maya heard a voice greet behind her. Her blood grew cold. She detested Detective Cranston and everything he stood for. A part of her knew her feelings were irrational, but she didn't care. She was angry and desparate to get her daughter back.

"Is there something you need?" Maya snapped.

"Just wondering what you are doing here in the city archives," Dirk replied. Dirk knew the information Dakota's kidnappers wanted from Maya, and knew she would have to come the archives to find it. He was a seasoned detective and was used to parents who tried to go around the law to get their children back. That never ended well.

"Is it a crime to look?" Maya asked.

"No ma'am," Dirk replied. "But if you are looking for information for the kidnappers without informing me, I would like to tell you that would be a grave mistake."

"What do you know about it?" Maya asked seething.

"Mrs. watson," Dirk replied. "I have been doing this for years-"

"And that means you know what it's like to have a daughter missing?" Maya shouted.

"No ma'am I am not saying that," Dirk said. He remained calm and collected. He knew from experience that would make her even angrier. "But I have years of experience in this, and placating those kidnappers might seem like a good idea to you, but once they get what they want, what do you think they will do to your daughter?" Maya glared at him. Her eyes started watering, and she was shaking uncontrollably. He could see the recognition in her eyes of the truth, but he also knew she wasn't going to listen to him at this point.

"You don't know!" Maya shouted. At that moment Elli came up the stairs.

"What's going on up here, is everyone okay?" Elli asked.

"Just fine," Maya grumbled. She stared at Dirk, then walked out of the archives. She would get her information another way.

"Detective Cranston, she sure doesn't like you does she?" Elli asked. Dirk laughed. That was an understatement.

"I find that many parents of missing children need someone to vent their frustration and fear on, I find that usually since I am always the person giving them bad news, it's usually me that gets the brunt of it," Dirk explained.

"But surely you don't deserve it," Elli insisted.

"That is true, but I have tough skin," Dirk replied.

"Would you care to join me for lunch at the Inn?" Elli asked. Dirk was suprised by the woman's forwardness. He hadn't expected that from her. He looked at her face, she had a hopeful look on it.

"Sure," Dirk replied. He knew it was a bad idea, but he didn't have the heart to crush her spirit right now. There was too much on his mind, specifically the note that he had found yesterday, with the very clear warning.

OOOOO

Dakota wriggled against the rope that bound her to the bed. Last night Hamilton had been so distracted, he had failed to tie her up as tightly. She had to plan this correctly, or she feared she would never get out alive. She needed to find a way back to the island, and back to her parent's house. She felt the knot around her left hand slipping, and suddenly her hand was free! Her heart beat faster with excitement. She looked at the clock, she only had a half an hour before Hamilton would come in with her dinner. She quickly went to work on the other knot. The use of her left hand made it much easier. Dakota was finally free from her restraints. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears as she feared he would be able to hear her. Slowly she made her way to the window. Outside was a fire escape. It was now or never. This was the risk she'd have to take. Dakota opened the window and stepped out onto the flimsy fire escape. The feel of fresh air on her skin was exhilarating. She quickly snapped to attention, she wasn't safe yet.

Dakota made her way down the three stories of steps. When her feet hit the pavement she started running. She was in an unfamiliar city with no money. But at this moment, that did not matter to her. She started running away as fast as she could.

Dakota kept running. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst, and she paid little attention to the people and scenery around her. Her body begged her to stop, but her mind kept pushing her forward. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and Hamilton as she could. She felt herself growing more tired, but kept pushing forward. Finally her body could no longer take it, and she collapsed to the ground, passing out from sheer exhaustion.

OOOOO

Marlin detested visits to Umberland City to see his mother. With his illness the city smog made it difficult to breath. Tonight was no different. Umberland was a good hour and a half drive from Forget-Me-Not His mother had coerced him into coming for a birthday dinner. Vesta had made him come. His mother was a cantankerous old woman who always had a cigarette in her hand, even after she'd lost a leg, and most of her teeth from smoking. She was demanding at best, and usually had some insult on the ready. But Marlin felt sorry for her, and even though she could be a terrible person, she was still his mother.

By the time the evening was over, he was ready to go home. On his way to his old pickup truck, he saw a girl with bright red hair crumpled on the ground in front of his mother's apartment building. Sighing, he jogged up to the girl. He checked for a pulse. She was still alive. At his touch the girl jumped awake, and pulled away from him. This made Marlin jump as well.

"Shit!" Marlin shouted. The girl stared at him wide eyed and afraid. "Sorry. You okay?" At that moment Vesta emerged from the house. She saw Marlin and the little girl, and came running over as well.

"What's going on here?" Vesta asked.

"Found this girl lying on the sidewalk," Marlin answered. Vesta turned to the young girl.

"You okay honey?" Vesta asked.

"I think so," the girl replied. "I just collapsed from running. I was return to run away."

"From whom?" Marlin asked, he found the girl suspicious. The girl scratched her head.

"I don't know," she replied. "I just remember running." Marlin regarded the girl carefully.

"What's your name?" Vesta asked. Vesta had always been the more friendly of the two siblings.

"Dakota," the girl replied.

"Dakota, what are you doing out here by yourself, lying on the sidewalk?" Marlin asked.

"I don't know, I remember my name is Dakota, but I can't remember anything else," Dakota sighed.

"Well let's get you to the hospital then," Vesta advised.

"No!" Dakota shouted. "Please! I don't know why I can't remember anything but my name, but I know whatever I was running from was real bad! I can still feel the fear! I don't expect you to believe me..." The look of fear on her face pulled on Vesta's nurturing side.

"I believe you dear, how bout you come home with me and my brother for the night, we can figure everything else out in the morning," Vesta replied. Marlin grumbled under his breath. Vesta was far too trusting. The look his sister shot him, stopped any argument from passing his lips.

"Thank you," Dakota replied. The trio got in the old pickup and headed for Forget-Me-Not.

OOOOO

Hamilton opened the bedroom door, to find that the girl was gone! Suddenly all his desperation turned to fear. This girl would be his undoing! He called out for Elliott who was sleeping lazily on the couch.

"Get in here!" Hamilton yelled at his associated. Elliot made his way to the bedroom. His eyes grew wide. The girl was no longer in the bedroom!

"Where the hell is she?" Elliott asked.

"I don't know!" Hamilton shouted. "We need to find her! And fast!" The pointed to the open window to the fire escape. The duo left the apartment quickly, hoping she wasn't able to get far.

* * *

**Yes amnesia is a bit cliche, but it was needed for the rest of the plans I have for this story. I needed to find a way for everyone's paths to cross. **


	15. Lullaby

Trent Tacoma knew the signs of an abused girl when he saw one, and the small red haired girl Marlin and Vesta had brought into his clinic had certainly been abused. There was little doubt in his mind about that. Some of her bruises were a few weeks old. He bristled at the thought. Who could have hurt this beautiful girl. She couldn't be older than fifteen or sixteen. The girl had suffered some sort of trauma recently, Trent assumed that was what had caused her massive memory loss. He could see no bump to her head.

"We should file a police report," Trent advised. Dakota looked terrified at the thought. Trent couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. She was clearly terrified of everything.

"Can't that wait a bit?" Vesta asked. "I think the girl has been through enough tonight." Dakota looked at Vesta gratefully. She didn't know why the going to the police scared her, but the thought was too much to handle right now.

"Ok," Trent conceded. He was hesistant to not call Harris in, but he knew better than to cross Vesta. "Does she have a place to stay?"

"She'll stay with us," Vesta replied. "We have an extra bed in Celia's room."

"That's fine with me then," Trent stated. He would call Harris tomorrow.

Dakota, Marlin, and Vesta made their way back to their farmhouse. Vesta had been so very kind to her. The small girl struggled to remember anything about her past, but the harder she tried, her head started hurting. She knew that there was something important that she was missing, but didn't know what it was.

"Welcome to our home!" Vesta stated when they arrived at the farm. "You can stay here as long as you need to, until you get your memory back."

"Thank you for your kindness," Dakota replied. Marlin grumbled something and left the farmhouse.

"Don't mind my brother," Vesta stated. "He's always grumpy." Dakota giggled. For the first time since she'd been found on the sidewalk, she didn't feel afraid anymore.

OOOOO

Hamilton returned to the small apartment in Umberland City. Both he and Elliott had searched the city trying to find her. Hamilton cleaned up the small apartment, leaving no traces of himself and Dakota. He had rented the small apartment in Umberland City after he had abducted Dakota. He didn't want any trace of Dakota in his own apartment. Now he knew that it was only a matter of time before the police started to descend on him. He got into his rental car to drive to the airport. At least he would get a little distance between him and the police. A few more hours of freedom was what he needed.

Hamilton had not expected Dakota to be able to escape. He had been so meticulous in binding her, but he knew his mistake had been the previous night. Hamilton had let his guard down. He had been feeling pretty depressed as of late, and had not paid as close attention to binding his captive as he usually did. He cursed himself for allowing his guard to drop. Now it was all over.

Elliott his accomplice had gone underground. If Hamilton was a smart man, he would do the same thing. But his pride would not go down that way. He wanted to be in control of the situation. At least sitting in his lush apartment in Harbor City, he would be able to enjoy the last moments of his freedom. If he was able to get there before the police caught up with him. It was a two hour flight back home, and he had yet to buy a ticket.

OOOOO

Evening was Jill's favorite time of day. She loved when the sun would be setting and dusk would settle on the land. The skies would be painted a beautiful crimson or purple color. People were finishing up their work day, and coming home to spend time with their families. This time of day had always resembled hope for Jill.

Jill sat out on the small front porch in front of the house, with her guitar. It had been quite a while since she'd pulled it out to play. Claire had gone to Mineral Town again. Jill didn't mind, she liked the time alone. She lazily strummed on her guitar, allowing her fingers to roll gently over the strings.

"Do you have a voice to match that beautiful playing?" A voice asked. Jill jumped. She looked up to see Skye standing in the yard.

"Shouldn't you be off stealing some young girl's heart?" Jill asked.

"I am trying," Skye crooned. Jill cocked her head to the side. She set the guitar down.

"I don't understand you," Jill admitted. Her brow furrowed.

"Most people don't," Skye replied. There was a touch of something almost sad in his voice. Jill wondered if it was just another ploy of his. She didn't trust the handsome thief. "Play me a song?"

"What?" Jill asked. She was surprised at the request. She didn't think that a man like this would want to listen to a song. She looked in his eyes to see if he was just mocking her again. There were no traces of laughter in them. Jill sighed. She said nothing, and picked up her guitar. She started playing a lullaby her mother used to sing her. She wasn't sure why out if all the songs she'd chosen that one. Closing her eyes to avoid crying, she finished the last notes of the tender song. When she reopened her eyes, Skye was gone. It was just as well, as the tears she'd struggled to hold back were now freely falling down her face.

OOOOO

Hamilton roamed through his empty apartment. At one point he had been proud of all the property he had acquired. He had reveled in the wealth that came along with it. Now he looked at the property and it was just a dim reminder of the life that was slowly slipping from his grasp. It angered him. He had not planned on the money running out. It had poured in so freely over the past few years. He was not going to be able to afford rent in his high rise apartment for much longer. He had wasted enough money renting the small apartment to keep Dakota in.

Four days had passed slowly for Hamilton. The hours were excrutiating as he was waiting for the police to show up. When the knock finally came on the door, he was a frazzled mess. He ordered himself to hold it together. He would not just lie down and die.

"Hello?" Hamilton said as he opened the door.

"Are you Hamilton Blake?" The officer asked him.

"That would be me," Hamilton stated.

"You're a hard man to get a hold of," the man stated. "My partner's got a few questions for ya, you mind coming with me to Waffle Island?"

"Waffle Island?" Hamilton asked. This he hadn't expected. He'd expected the officer to come and arrest him. He forced himself to calm down again. Maybe, just maybe this wouldn't end out bad after all.


End file.
